Festival of Ideas on Europe

The Red House | Gulliver Hall | 18:00 | free entry

An exhibition of artwork by year 11-12 students specialising in graphic design at St. Luke’s National High School of Applied Arts.

Lead teachers:

Albena Mihailova, Christopher Krastev & Nikolay Popov

Coordinator:

Ralitsa Karapaneteva

This exhibition features posters displaying the students' takes on Bulgaria’s European years, as proposed by the European Commission and adopted by the European Parliament and EU member governments.

The Red House | Red Hall | 18:00 - 20:00 

Shifting the paradigm – from crisis to opportunity

Opening lecture - in English

Opening the evening with his lecture, the former UNHCR development worker, Kilian Kleinschmidt, talks about the need to shift the paradigm of discussions around migration from crisis to opportunity.

Pulling no punches, Kleinschmidt speaks of the shock therapy of the migration wave which Europe experienced in 2015, talking about how it “felt like an attack” from the perspective of people in Vienna.

Yet, for Kleinschmidt, 2015 also provided a necessary corrective, bringing political discussions back on track and ensuring a proper debate on a range of matters: from European values within and without our societies through to our relationships with the global south.

In a wide-ranging talk, Kleinschmidt, therefore, focuses on the realities behind the political discussions we have been having since 2015, putting the number of refugees and migrants reaching Europe into context, talking about the role of aspiration, global aid, climate change, urbanisation and the many interconnections between these different factors.

Lecturer:

Kilian Kleinschmidt - German Entrepreneur and former UNHCR Official
Kleinschmidt worked for many years as a UNHCR development worker, serving most recently as the director of the Za’atari camp in Jordan. Since leaving the UNHCR, Kleinschmidt has lived in Vienna, where he has also advised the Austrian government on the running of the refugee camp in Traiskirchen.

Global and local migration: challenges and opportunities

Follow-up discussion - in Bulgarian
(Bulgarian speakers can access the follow-up discussion on The Red House's YouTube channel by clicking here)

Moderation:

Yavor Siderov - Political Scientist & Bulgarian Government Advisor in the field of migration

Speakers:

Philip Gounev - Deputy Minister of Interior of Bulgaria (2014-2016), Independent Consultant & former Security Expert at the Centre for the Study of Democracy

Ildiko Otova - Professor of European Migration Policy in the St. Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia’s Department of European Studies

Radostina Pavlova - Legal Expert, Consultant and Researcher, working on migration-related topics such as the prevention of human trafficking, vulnerable migrants and access to public information in the area of asylum and migration

The Red House | Red Hall | 18:00 - 20:00 

Freedom of speech in Central and Eastern Europe: between the oligarchy at home and fighting “fake news” in Brussels

Opening lecture - in English

In this second Festival of Ideas on Europe discussion, Daniel Kaiser laments that we are still talking about the need to promote and defend free speech in 2019 and focuses on the process of oligarchisation amongst Czech media outlets and what he sees as problematic international legislation.

Looking back at the last five to ten years, Kaiser details how big corporations and businessmen have taken over the Czech media scene, with the exception of Czech national television, which he believes has become stronger since earlier attempts to restrict its independence failed.

Later in the discussion, Kaiser also looks at trends in the UK, the EU and the UN, tracing what he sees as a regulatory tendency towards suppression of free speech. He draws attention to a series of legislative measures which state an intention to protect minorities, restrict terrorism and/or extremist language and the spread of disinformation, but which, he feels, leave the door wide open to a subjective restriction of free speech.

Lecturer:

Daniel Kaiser – Journalist, Eho24
Formerly active in the BBC’s Czech Republic office and at the Czech newspaper Lidové noviny. Kaiser left Lidové noviny on its takeover by the current Czech prime minister, Andrej Babiš, and now works as a political commentator at the Eho24 weekly. He is also the author of a political biography of Václav Havel.

Can Brussels regulate media in the EU?

Follow-up discussion - in Bulgarian
(Bulgarian speakers can access the full-length discussion with Bulgarian interpretation on The Red House's YouTube channel by clicking here)

Moderation:

Polina Paunova - Journalist, Radio Free Europe

Speakers:

Irina Nedeva – Journalist, Bulgarian National Radio & Chair of the Association of European Journalists, Bulgaria

Neli Ognianova - Media Law Expert

Andrei Tagarev - Software Developer, Ontotext AD (a company which develops fake news tracking systems)

Sofia University | Mirror Hall | 18:00 - 20:00 

Democratising Europe's economy

Opening lecture - in English

In his lecture, Niccolò Milanese begins by painting a dark picture of the sort of working environment faced by employees of global megacorporations, describing a situation within which workers have effectively been mechanised by their employer’s efficiency drive and are isolated from each other and subjugated by a top-down regime, with little opportunity for self-determination, solidarity or providing their own input.

This nightmarish vision is then consolidated as Milanese moves on to discuss how these changes in the work place affect other areas of our lives and societies, highlighting the links which have been made between such working conditions and people’s political preferences and the emergence of authoritarian and so-called populist movements.

The lecture, however, concludes in a more positive respect, with Milanese turning his attention to new and emerging examples of cross-border citizen worker initiatives which look to fight back and democratise the work place. For Milanese, these represent a new anti-hierarchical example of horizontal European integration and show how we and the powers that be can both effectively combat political radicalisation and improve our own individual work places.

Lecturer:

Niccolò Milanese - Poet & Philosopher, President of European Alternatives
Milanese was born in London, but now lives in Paris, from where, in addition to European Alternatives, he has been involved in the creation of numerous political and cultural organisations, magazines and initiatives, including the liberal magazine, YAANI, Mena Policy Hub, Bitmind, the Cultural Innovators Network, the ECIT Foundation for European Citizenship, the Europe + campaign for a democratic EU and Civil Society Europe, in which he currently chairs a working group on civilian and fundamental rights

What will make the EU stronger: more freedom for businesses or more social protection?

Follow-up discussion - in Bulgarian
(Bulgarian speakers can access the full-length discussion with Bulgarian interpretation on The Red House's YouTube channel by clicking here)

Moderation:

Irina Nedeva – Journalist, Bulgarian National Radio & Chair of the Association of European Journalists, Bulgaria

Speakers:

Teodor Dechev - Director of Industrial Policies at the Bulgarian Industrial Capital Association (AICB)

Petar Ganev - Economist, Institute for Market Economics

Vanya Grigorova - Economic Counsellor at the Podkrepa Confederation of Labour and President of the Solidarna Bulgaria Association

Georgi Medarov – Sociologist & Member of the Collective for Public Interventions

Instituto Cervantes – Sofia | 18:00 - 20:00 

The state of the EU: integration, crisis & disintegration

Opening lecture - in English

In this lecture, Torreblanca speaks of the lack of adequate research on European disintegration. He states that there are plenty of theories of European integration, but very few on European disintegration and that it is important to understand how this can come about, when it might be called a crisis and what consequences it might have.

In particular, Torreblanca, observes a historical neglect of politics in European structures and a lack of preparedness for the current return of politics to those structures. For him, this and the contemporary structural weaknesses of European institutions have combined to ensure that the shock of the return of politics provides an institutional threat to the EU, pushing it into a crisis.

Talking about this crisis, Torreblanca observes four key revolts which he deems to be happening all at the same time (a revolt of the elites, the populace, the markets and the theory) and, closely associated with these four revolts, three acts of revenge (the revenge of history, of geography and of demography) which have both triggered the revolts and helped shape the forms that they have taken.

Lecturer:

José Ignacio Torreblanca - Spanish Journalist, Political Analyst and Senior Policy Fellow at the ECFR
Alongside his work at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), Torreblanca is a professor of political science at the Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED). He is also a weekly columnist for El Mundo and a contributor to Radio Nacional de España. Torreblanca has also worked as the editorial director of El Pais (2016-2018) and as the head of the ECFR’s Madrid Office (2007-2016).

A Europe of nations or a Europe of integration?

Follow-up discussion - in Bulgarian
(Bulgarian speakers can access the full-length discussion with Bulgarian interpretation on The Red House's YouTube channel by clicking here)

Moderation:

Svetoslav Ivanov - Journalist, BTV

Speakers:

Ognian Minchev - Director of the Institute for Regional and International Studies and Chairman of the Managing Board of the Bulgarian branch of the Transparency International Foundation

Petar Ganev - Programme Coordinator at ECFR

The Red House | Red Hall | 18:00 - 20:00 

The PhotoFactory festival of photography presents highlights from its sixth edition as well as short video chat shows with some of the world's photographers who have been part of its programme over the years. In 2019, the festival focuses on Europe with exhibitions of iconic European photographers and expositions which connect the past, the present and the future of the idea of Europe.

Featuring:

The Magnum photographers, Alex Mayley and Cristina Garcia Rodero, and the author of Human, Jan-Arthus Bertrand

Presented by:

Emmy Barouch

The Red House | Red Hall | 18:00 - 19:00 

Opening lecture

(In Polish, originally with Bulgarian interpretation)

Lecturer:

Krzysztof Czyżewski - Polish Intellectual, Culturologist and Writer
Alongside his writing, Czyżewski is the co-founder and director of the Borderland Foundation and Centre of Arts, Cultures & Peoples on the Polish border to Lithuania. In 2011, together with the Borderland team, he opened an International Centre for Dialogue in Krasnogruda. Czyżewski is also the initiator of a number of programmes for intercultural dialogue in Central Europe, the Balkans, the Caucasus, Central Asia, North Africa and other border regions.

Follow-up discussion

(In Bulgarian - Bulgarian speakers can access the full-length discussion with Bulgarian interpretation on The Red House's YouTube channel by clicking here)

Moderation:

Irina Nedeva - Journalist, Bulgarian National Radio & Chair of the Association of European Journalists, Bulgaria

Speakers:

Ivaylo Dichev - Professor of Cultural Anthropology at the University of Sofia

Georgi Tenev - Writer, Screenwriter, Director and Producer

The Red House | Red Hall | 18:00 - 20:00 

The age of imitation of its discontent

Opening lecture - in Bulgarian

Lecturer:

Ivan Krastev – Chair of the Centre for Liberal Strategies, Sofia & Permanent Fellow at the IWM, Vienna
In addition to his work at the CLS and the IWM, Ivan Krastev is also a founding board member of the European Council on Foreign Relations, a member of the advisory board of the ERSTE Foundation and a member of the global advisory board of the Open Society Institute. Krastev was previously the executive director of the International Commission on the Balkans (2004-2006), the editor-in-chief of the Bulgarian edition of Foreign Policy and a member of the Council of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (2005-2011). His latest books in English translation are In Mistrust We Trust: Can Democracy Survive When We Don’t Trust Our Leaders? (2013), Democracy Disrupted: The Politics of Global Protest (2014) and After Europe (2017).

Where should Europe head to after losing the United States as a faithful foreign policy partner?

Follow-up discussion - in Bulgarian

Moderation:

Irina Nedeva – Journalist, Bulgarian National Radio & Chair of the Association of European Journalists, Bulgaria

Speakers:

G. Jottinger – Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs (2005-2009) and Minister of Labour and Social Policy (2014-2016). Jottinger was also an MEP from 2009-2014.

Ivailo Kalfin - Special Adviser to the Bulgarian Commissioner for Budget and Human Resources

Rosen Plevneliev - President of the Republic of Bulgaria (2012-2017) & Bulgarian Minister of Regional Development and Public Works (2009-2011)

(Bulgarian speakers can access the full-length discussion with Bulgarian interpretation on The Red House's YouTube channel by clicking here)

The Red House | Red Hall | 18:00 - 20:00 

Moderation:

Ognyan Georgiev – Economics Editor, Капитал (Capital)

Speakers:

Vihar Georgiev – Lawyer & Lecturer, specialising in EU policy & practice, justice and domestic affairs and the application of EU law

Evgeni Kanev - Managing Partner in Maconis LLC (an investment consulting company)

Dimiter Stoyanov - Journalist, Bivol.bg

(Bulgarian speakers can access the full-length discussion with Bulgarian interpretation on The Red House's YouTube channel by clicking here)

The Red House | Red Hall | 18:00 - 19:00 

The future of the media in Europe - what can be done against the pressure of foreign influence, disinformation and social networks?

(English-language lecture)

The owners of some of Europe's largest media outlets are from the US, Russia, Japan, even Egypt. At the same time, disinformation pressure undermines confidence in the authority of European media. Media outlets have found themselves in battle with search engines and social networks and the boom in consumer content provides a new challenge for journalism. How can media outlets succeed in this new environment and, given the relationship between media, online debate and democracy, should information policy be a priority for the EU in 2019-2024?

Lecturer:

Christophe Leclercq - Founder of the EURACTIV media network & President of the EURACTIV Foundation
Alongside his work for EURACTIV, Leclerq is active as an adviser & commentator. Since January 2018, Christophe Leclercq has also been one of the experts in the European Commission’s High-Level Expert Group (HLEG), formed to combat the spread of disinformation. He leads the EU’s #Media4EU and Stars4Media(Erasmus4Media) projects and teaches at the Institut d'Etudes Européennes at the Université libre de Bruxelles.