Seminar in Vienna - Telling the European story

At the centre of this seminar was the current European debate on enlargement, which has been termed "an unparalleled success story in history" (Janos Kornai) or "a miracle in international relations" (Mark Leonard). European institutions use similar language, as do many of the politicians or civil servants who have been involved in the process. And yet, despite such praise and efforts, it has become obvious that enlargement has a serious image problem, with implications for the image of the EU among its citizens and for future EU foreign policy, especially in South Eastern Europe.

The seminar was organized by ERSTE Foundation and was to identify novel approaches and innovative ideas on how new European narratives can influence current European debates. Participants from across Europe joined the debate: Kristof Bender (ESI), Milica Djilas (University of Belgrade), Misha Glenny (author), Minna Järvenpää (Dfid), Gregor Kreuzhuber (GPlus Europe), Boris Marte (director of ERSTE Foundation), and Michael Glawogger (director of the documentaries "Megacities" and "Working man's death") among others.