Sofia – ESI at “Debates on Europe” event

Kristof at the “Debates on Europe” at “Toplocentrala” in Sofia. Photo: Debates on Europe

ESI’s Kristof Bender was invited to attend the "Debates on Europe” conference, this year taking place from 24 to 26 February 2023 in Bulgaria’s capital Sofia. The event was co-organised by the S. Fischer Foundation and the Germany Academy for Language and Literature. 

On a panel on “Why the Numbers Matter” Kristof debated with Ognyan Georgiev of the Bulgarian weekly Kapital demographic decline in Bulgaria and Southeast Europe, work migration to Germany and other old EU member states, and how migration changes both sending and receiving countries. It was chaired by editor and essayist Carl Henrik Fredriksson. 

Other participants included Ukrainian writer Kateryna Mishchenko, author and IWM rector Misha Glenny, political scientist Ivan Krastev, Economist correspondent Tim Judah and Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies lecturer Veronica Anghel. 

• Debates on Europe, Sofia, Programme
• Mediapool, Кристоф Бендер: Нереалистично е България да построи по-ефективна ограда с Турция ("Kristof Bender: It is unrealistic for Bulgaria to build a more effective fence with Turkey”), Interview with Kristof Bender, 11 March 2023