Crisis of the European political and economic governance model, Brexit and other breakaway tendencies of federated states and regions within nation–states culminating in the case of Catalonia, nationalist populist governments in EU member states,manifold and create the challenges the European Union faces in parallel with the worries of its citizens for the near future. How can the European project gain a new dynamic while preserving its cohesion? How can the united Europe continue to fulfil the promise made 60 years ago in its founding declaration, to provide prosperity, peace and freedom for all its citizens? How can the EU protect and deepen the model of liberal democracy now under fire? How can European citizens become better involved in the reform of the European Union, fixing its shortcomings and its lack of democratic legitimacy?
These challenges are discussed in depth within the series of lectures and seminars “Debates on the future of Europe” jointly organized by the Heinrich Boell Foundation Greece, the Jean Monnet Chair on European Constitutional Law & Culture of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence of the University of Macedonia.
In continuance of the first conference and seminar organized in October 2017 on the subject of "Democratisation in the framework of the multilevel European governance" the cooperating partners moved to organise the second conference and seminar on the subject of "The European Pillar of Social Rights and Youth Policy in the EU" . In this second effort, the Jean Monnet Chairs "EU Social Rights Protection and Comparative Legal Cultures" of the the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and "EU Budgetary Governance and Audit" of the University of Macedonia are also cooperating partners.
The international Conference will take place on Wednesday 16 of May 2018, while a two-hour seminar with limited number of participants will take place on Thursday 17 of May. The events are addressed both to scientists and to academic researchers, postgraduate students who work on european matters from different point of view, sciences and Schools. The international conference are open to the general public.
PROGRAMME
International Conference: Wednesday 16.05.2018, Mediterranean Palace Hotel, Conference Room "Poseidon", mezzanine, 17:00
Main Speaker: Yves Bertoncini, President "Mouvement européen - France", former Director of the Jacques Delors Institute “Notre Europe”
17.00 Welcome by:
- Professor Ilias Kouskouvelis, Dean of the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts, University of Macedonia
- Associate Professor Despoina Anagnostopoulou, Academic Coordinator of the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence, University of Macedonia
- Olga Drossou, Director of the Heinrich Böll Foundation Greece
- Professor Christina Deligianni, Jean Monnet Chair of EU Social Rights Protection and Comparative Legal Cultures, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
17.15 Keynote speech: The European Pillar of Social Rights
- Yves Bertoncini, President "Mouvement européen - France", former Director of the Jacques Delors Institute “Notre Europe”
18.15-19.20 Session 1: Social Rights and EU Youth Policy
- Chair: Associate Professor Ioannis Papadopoulos, University of Macedonia
18.15 EU Youth Policy and Employment
- Professor Dimitrios Skiadas, Jean Monnet Chair on EU Budgetary Governance and Audit, University of Macedonia
18.35 European Youth Guarantee: context, implementation and challenges
- Sofia Boutsiouki, Lecturer, Researcher of the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence, University of Macedonia
18.55 Discussion
19.20 Coffee Break
19.40-21.00 Session 2: Unemployment, NEETs (Young Persons “Not in Education, Employment, or Training”) and Empowerment
- Chair: Professor Dimitrios Skiadas, Jean Monnet Chair on EU Budgetary Governance and Audit, University of Macedonia
19.40 Youth in Greece, today: Remarks on the EU state of play regarding youth unemployment and NEETs - Key determinants of young peoples’ life course (Skype)
- Professor Nikolaos Papadakis, University of Crete
20.00 How do we define the NEET group?
- Professor Sue McGuire, University of Bath, UK
20.20 Re-membering and empowering youth
- Associate Professor Vasiliki Karavakou, University of Macedonia
20.40-21.00 Discussion
Seminar: Thursday 17.05.2018, University of Macedonia, Department of International and European Studies, KZ building, Room 335, 3rd Floor 14:00-16:00
The aim of the seminar is to facilitate the development of research questions for PhD researchers and postgraduate students, and enhance the discussion on the European Pillar of Social Rights between young researchers and experts in the field of European studies coming from both academia and practice.
Yves Bertoncini will start with a synopsis of his speech in the conference, followed by questions and answers of PhD researchers, postgraduate students, conference speakers and professors of the University of Macedonia and the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
Both the Conference and the seminar will be conducted in English, without interpretation
Entrance to the international conference and the seminar is free
Due to limited number of placements, participation at the seminar requires prior expression of interest up to the 15th of May, by sending an email to e.astyrakakis[@]gr.boell.org declaring the current status (Researcher, postgraduate student etc)