Panorama | EFA22

Interviews with and articles by contributors to the European Forum Alpbach 2022: Rana Adib | Franz Eder and Martin Senn | Nebojša Nakićenović | Rolf Strauch | Stefanie Wöhl | and others

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Sounds of Europe Alpbach Choirs

Interview with Theresa Hattinger and Clemens Wenger AUSTRIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Technologies as the Key to Overcoming Crises by Martin Kugler THE FINANCING OF EUROPE’S FUTURE 40 Interview with Andreas Treichl

42 Terms of Trade Shock and the Loss of Wealth - are We Heading Back to the 1970s? by Rolf Strauch THE

OPPORTUNITY

Interview with Marie Ringler

49 Energy Transformation is a Herculean ­Challenge with Multiple Benefits for All by Nebojša Nakićenović

51 A New Energy Order Rana Adib

THE FUTURE OF DEMOCRACY AND THE RULE OF LAW IN EUROPE

54 Interview with Katja Gentinetta

56 Who Cares for the EU ? A Feminist Edge on Less Visible Challenges Ahead Stefanie Wöhl

»The desire for community, unity and peace has brought people to Alpbach for more than 75 years. Especially now, it is essential that we keep on working on this idea in order to ensure a strong Europe for generations to come. «

Europe has changed overnight. Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine has shaken our continent and inevitably led to an uncomfortable awakening of Europe’s society. Confronted with yet another crisis people struggle to hold on future perspectives and start doubting their former beliefs. For many decades, Europe was a guarantee for peace and prosperity. This dream ended abruptly, and we have woken up in a New Europe. That‘s why we have chosen »The New Europe« as our annual theme. A clear signal that we are now, more than ever, the place where we have to talk about Europe’s future. But what we need now are ideas and action! Action, as seen many decades ago when young people found the European Forum Alpbach. Action, as experienced in an enormous sense of solidarity among the people of Europe as a response the war in Ukraine. Action, as demanded from the participants of this year’s EFA22 event. For this year‘s magazine, we have invited international experts to give us a better impression of the themes that the European Forum Alpbach will be addressing this year. Especially what is required to make a sustainable contribution to strengthen Europe.

Let’s build The New Europe. Join us!

Andreas Treichl EFA President

Feri Thierry EFA Secretary General

Once again, the EFA awarded scholarships to hundreds of outstanding young talents from around the world to participate at this year’s event. Students, young professionals and changemakers come to Alpbach and attend not only a high­level conference programme but also seminars and a variety of social and cultural activities. Howard Williamson, himself an insider of the Alpbach Seminars (former Seminar Week), explains what is new about this year’s programme. Jana Ganzmann and Robert Prosser both give insights into the seminars that they will be hosting during EFA22.

AP What is new about the Alpbach Seminars 2022?

HW Quite a lot is new, in fact. After a decade of steady evolution, during which Efa established a combination of scientific and creative seminars within one rather generic overarching theme, and by taking place in the morning and afternoon respectively over one week, we now have the Alpbach Seminars. These will take place over two weeks and only in the mornings, thus integrating them more with other dimensions of the Efa programme. They will be anchored within the four thematic tracks of the overall programme: Climate, Finance, Security and Democracy. For each track there will be not only scientific (academic and intellectual) and creative (personal and experiential) seminars, but also what might be called »skill-focused« seminars, in which more practical and applied competencies will be explored and developed.

AP How will the Alpbach Seminars contribute to building »The New Europe« ?

HW A late colleague of mine once suggested that the European learning agenda was akin to cooking »eggs in a pan« – once they had fused together, it would be impossible to separate them again. Clearly, the war in Ukraine and the withdrawal of Russia from the Council of Europe has put this theory

and philosophy to the test. Once more, Efa22 — through its overall programme in general and through the Alpbach Seminars in particular — is a context in which the values that have hitherto shaped Europe have to be revisited, refreshed and reasserted. The four tracks frame that reassertion and endeavour to strengthen their current fragility. coP26 and the recent Un report propel the climate emergency to the forefront of many minds, knowing the urgency of the »green transition« . This has to be supported, however, with a reappraisal and reconstruction of finance arrangements and market relationships within and beyond Europe. And though the concept of security is, currently, inevitably directed towards matters of peace and security in central and eastern Europe, the idea of securing Europe’s future has much broader implications concerned with economic, political and diplomatic relations with other parts of the world. Democracy, human rights and the rule of law provided the underpinning of the » old « Europe since 1945 and now demand their own defence and renewal. Drilling into these four tracks — through expert lectures, dialogue and debate, practical exercises, experiment and experience, performance and participation during the Alpbach Seminars — will equip a cohort of scholarship holders to advocate for a »New Europe« with renewed rigour, vigour, competence and confidence.

AP Why is it important that all generations engage in discussions on the four thematic tracks?

HW The Alpbach Seminars provide a distinctive opportunity for an intensive, intellectual exchange of views and call to action among established individuals and talented young people with diverse but invariably impressive backgrounds. There is not only intergenerational but also interdisciplinary and intercultural cross-fertilisation of knowledge and perspectives. One might describe this as deep immersive learning, usually led and facilitated by (typically older) experts in their field, but critiqued and challenged by a younger generation who also often have expert knowledge arising from many different cultural and intellectual roots.

AP Why is exchange between European and non-European scholarship holders particularly important this year?

The geopolitical global landscape is in flux. On all four tracks, balances of power and spheres of influence are shifting. As with generations, interdependency, mutuality and reciprocity need to be the watchwords. Efa has already germinated an Africa Alpbach Network, through the participation of a relatively small number of scholarship holders from Africa. There have also been participants from Asia and Latin America. Their presence strengthens intercultural dialogue and provides ideas as well as more concrete examples drawn from very different political, economic and social contexts. This enriches the debate. The four tracks that inform the Alpbach Seminars this year may be related explicitly to Europe, but they cannot be meaningfully interrogated and unravelled without reference to other parts of the world.

short bio

Howard Williamson is Professor of European Youth Policy at the University of South Wales in the United Kingdom. Previously he worked at the Universities of Oxford, Cardiff and Copenhagen and has held visiting positions in Hong Kong, Malta, Zagreb, Beijing, Rennes and Tehran.

Foreign

Robert Prosser

For a long time now, I have felt that the Forum has given me the chance to experience a variety of encounters, even unexpected ones. The fact that I received the opportunity to conduct a workshop — together with Diemut Schilling — to create a kind of exchange between locals and scholarship holders makes me very happy, especially due to the fact that I grew up in Alpbach, and that dialogue with others is at the core of my literary work. No different from many other villages in Tyrol, Alpbach is heavily characterised by tourism. Holidaymakers were part of growing up when I was young. To earn a little more income, my parents‘ house functioned as a bed and breakfast. Birthdays, Christmas and New Year‘s Eve, all of the events throughout the yearly calendar, were shared with the tourists. This made them very

»It takes time for a text to become readable, literature acts by focusing on the past, as a response to a moment in which pausing might not have been an option; it is a kind of memory store.«

Tyrol, where he still resides. His work reflects on his findings through his travels across the world — ranging from rap to recitation, curatorship and writing.

close to me, and at the same time — hard to express in words, but inferred from the adults‘ behaviour — I sensed that my own family acted as a service provider. The foreigners paid for their holiday and expected to have a good time, in other words a fulfilment of Tyrol’s promises. The magic of the slopes, unspoilt nature, cosiness, après-ski, seemingly incompatible opposites which increasingly disgusted me the older I became. The feeling grew and evolved into a necessity for me to get away.

Getting Away

The classic biographical escape, a desire to get out of the alpine narrowness, make kilometres, no, devour kilometres. To Asia and into the Caucasus for example, whatever could be accomplished as a student backpacker living on money saved up from part-time jobs. It is my belief that if you catapult yourself into the world, you land in stories. In early April, for example, I happened to be in Lviv in western Ukraine. It was cold and windy, snow fell during the nights, and a thin layer of ice covered the roofs and the meadows in the park. Sometimes the war was very far

away. But then you turned a corner and stumbled upon a funeral procession, a soldier was being buried, air-raid sirens sounded from the rooftops. With the help of a friend of mine, a journalist reporting from the border area, I intended to do some research on the refugee situation in Przemyśl, the Polish border town 80 km away from Lviv; I was interested in the network set up by non-governmental aid organisations, volunteers and idealists. At short notice, three ambulances, which were donated by Swedish hospitals, had to be brought to Lviv, and I got a chance to accompany the vehicle transfer. Weeks previously when the war broke out, there was a discussion among authors as to ways in which the art community in Western Europe could take a stand. Fundraising readings were organised, statements of support were posted on social media, efforts were made, yes, but they also seemed helpless. I told myself that it was a reliable fact that literature did not take effect until afterwards. Writing tends to have a very peculiar way of handling time: It takes time for a text to become readable, literature acts by focusing on the past, as a response to a moment in which pausing might not have been an option; it is a kind of memory store.

Unheard Voices

That, I thought, may also be the purpose of literature with regard to the war in Ukraine: in the hopefully not too distant future, to try to talk with the displaced people and the survivors, the victims and the offenders, and to write down the stories; all of the voices that would remain unheard, if it were not for means such as literature to make them audible. But maybe, I thought then, this belief in the power of art is just lulling me into a cosy sense of complacency. My acquaintance’s suggestion that I come to Przemyśl forced me, in a manner of speaking, to become more active. I was happy about this opportunity; at least I would be able to see with my own eyes what was happening in the border area, it would be a leap across the abyss, which the geographical distance and the stereotypical images were creating, which help us in our attempts to banish everything foreign.

short bio

Robert Prosser is an author, performer and curator from Alpbach,

Humanity at the Crossroad — Time for a New Economic System and a New Understanding of Courage

Jana

in innovation and entrepreneurship. She has been an Efa scholarship holder in 2019 and will be a seminar chair at Efa22. She is a co-founder of the Impact Hub Tirol.

With global warming, rising inequality and overuse of the limited resources of our home, planet Earth, the current trajectory of humanity is challenging at best. Design flaws in our economic and financial systems prohibit a healthy and prospering future for humanity and the planet. Many see capitalism as the root cause for unsustainable extraction and power abuse. Ever since the beginning of capitalism, economists and sociologists have debated the challenges, benefits and opportunities of this system — from inequality and the concentration of power to the principles of freedom and autonomy. Capitalism has contributed to growth and prosperity for many, while also exploiting nature and driving generations of people into poverty. The times have ended, when we needed this type of economy as an instrument to bring about progress in terms of wealth.

It is time to be bold

We are transitioning into a new era, where we need the system to solve new challenges: how to enable all people to live a meaningful and purposeful life, how to drastically reduce our global emissions, and how to ethically deal with powerful new technologies.

It is time to be bold and reframe and fundamentally change our market economy to a purpose it has originally been given. To see the market economy as a positive power to improve

our future — and with that I do not mean to use it as a business opportunity. For real hope to emerge, we need systemic change, we need a business and economic system which serves people and the planet, and we need to truly democratise market forces. We need to reframe entrepreneurship as a tool to solve social and/or environmental challenges instead of just maximising profits.

Luckily, this shift is already happening. Innovation and entrepreneurship in its very essence have the purpose to bring about solutions for real problems. However, we need to go deeper and change underlying power structures to result in a more just wealth distribution, to counter the accumulation of power, and to go beyond the need for growth in terms of physical resources. In our seminar »Humanity at the Crossroad« — which I have the privilege to co-host with Charly Kleissner – we dive into a systemic vision for the new impact economy as a solution for the 21st century challenges. The European Forum Alpbach provides an amazing backdrop for discussing these questions with young minds with different backgrounds and perspectives from all over the world. Before co-hosting this year’s seminar on »Humanity at the Crossroad«, I had the great privilege to be empowered by the Forum’s unique setting of spaces, formats and people in an interdisciplinary and ambitious environment to become an impact entrepreneur.

We need systematic change

Of course, we need to go further than academic and philosophical discussions. We need to engage and make hard decisions to accelerate the necessary change. When people in power are asked what gives them hope, I often hear the answer »It is the young people with a new mindset and consciousness who are the new future« . At first, this may seem and is even meant to be a compliment. But outsourcing all hope and responsibility to a generation that is not even allowed to vote and mostly nowhere close to the power brokers and decision-makers of our times, seems frightening at best.

What we need is systemic change pursued by all actors, whilst empowering underrepresented groups to be part of decision-making processes. Like most people in Alpbach, I myself am an embodiment of privilege: As a European, I grew up in one of the most prosperous places on earth with plenty of opportunities in education and freedom — none of which I created on my own. It is my privilege that drives me into action. As entrepreneurs we need to become true explorers again and take courage in bringing about a more purposeful and impact-driven economy. And it is about acknowledging our own privilege — and harnessing it is a power for positive and systemic change.

short bio

Ganzmann has studied non-profit, social and health care management specialising

Jana Ganzmann

Generating ideas for The New Europe — this is what the Alpbach Ideas are aiming for. Winfried Kneip, member of the EFA Board, explains what the new format is all about, which project phases are included, what results are expected and how the Alpbach Ideas will contribute to the future of Europe.

AP What are the Alpbach Ideas about?

WK The Alpbach Ideas is a format that generates ideas for the future of Europe and thus concerns the core of the European Forum Alpbach. There is now a place to weigh and evaluate ideas that are formulated by different groups of people and come up in different formats. From there, concrete approaches to current challenges are developed: climate change, the future of democracy, the security and financing of Europe, etc. In all these areas there are extraordinarily many ideas. But pointed solutions that are supported by different people and groups in an interdisciplinary way are few and far. We want to change that with the Alpbach Ideas.

AP What is the concrete approach?

WK In Alpbach, there will be an Ideas Camp every afternoon during the Lab Week, in which concrete approaches to solutions are to emerge from previously collected ideas. Ideas, in turn, will be shaped in different ways: on the one hand, moderators will identify topics that received special attention during their own sessions, and on the other hand, scholarship holders and alumni from the Forum Alpbach Network will collect concrete problems in advance. Thirdly, ideas can also be contributed individually and spontaneously at a central location during the event in Alpbach by each and every participant.

From all the ideas and problems, clusters will be formed and condensed. The results will form the basis for the Ideas Camp, which will then focus on the development of concrete solutions. The idea is that there will be real cooperation between experts and scholarship holders, between scientists and artists, between decision-makers and activists. As a result, teams will form to work together on a specific issue until the next Forum or even beyond. To speed up the process, our team in Alpbach will be composed of different experts, especially trained in generating ideas, defining processes and accompanying projects.

AP What could be the concrete results of the Ideas Camp?

WK One result could be a start-up idea. But it could also be an app, for example, or an idea that will take place as an event during the Efa next year. It could be a social movement that acts as a multiplier to get even more people on board. Of course, it is not yet clear what will happen, but we see enormous potential in the cooperation of visionary young people and experts from different fields. We expect a dynamic and motivation that will carry on from Alpbach. »Alpbach all year«, so to speak.

AP Why are ideas relating to the annual theme » The New Europe« particularly important?

WK New Europe is an aspiration. This claim is undefined at first, in the sense that we don’t know what the new Europe will look like: Will it be a Europe that grows closer together and has a stronger union? Or will it be a Europe that remains endangered, where democracy is even more at risk than it is at the moment?

For me, the topic of »The New Europe« is very closely linked to the Alpbach Ideas, because it helps us to concretise the goals of the Forum, which have been identical for over 70 years, especially in difficult times. For me, the question is: Will we manage to find plausible concepts, solutions and ideas for Europe that actually carry the essence of shaping a new Europe and that contribute to strengthening cohesion and democracy in Europe?

AP What distinguishes Alpbach Ideas from previous formats?

WK Alpbach has always been a place of ideas. On the one hand, many things have emerged here informally, but on the other hand, there have also been formats that actively promoted the generation of ideas. The concept of Alpbach Ideas and the Ideas Camp is new in that it creates space to concretise these ideas, to record them and to develop them further for the future. It is a kind of memory of ideas that does not pose problems once but reflects and develops them year after year. The Alpbach Ideas do not end after this year’s event. They will continue to be developed, evaluated by a jury, supported and ideally re-examined, questioned and sharpened during Efa23 — until a solution is not only on the table, but also implemented.

short bio

Winfried Kneip, Board Member of the European Forum Alpbach Foundation is Founder and Programme Director of Love Politics in Germany. He also works as a consultant and project developer in the fields of democracy, culture and education. He is board member of the PWc Foundation and was Managing Director of Stiftung Mercator.

➊ Until EFA22 Event

Collecting Ideas 1: Scholarships | FAN

Scholarship holders and members of the fan are invited to identify specific challenges in their fields of action and formulate ideas on possible solutions.

➋ During EFA22 Event

Collecting Ideas 2: All Participants

- Participants draw their ideas and challenges on a publicly open black board.

- Hosts condense ideas and challenges discussed during their sessions and bring them to the Ideas Camp during Lab Week.

➌ As of 27 August

Ideas Camp and Project Development

While new ideas can still be handed in also during Lab Week, already identified core topics will be summarised during the Ideas Camp and, under the guidance of process experts, transformed into projects.

➍ 2 to 31 September

Project Submission Period

After Efa22, project teams will be built and projects will be drafted, describing participants and possible outcomes, and identify necessary partners and mentors.

➎ 31 September to 15 October

Announcement of Winners

A jury, consisting of Efa and fan members as well as partner representatives, will choose projects according to thematic tracks with priority on innovation.

➏ 15 October to 31 October

Elaborating an Agreement

The winning project teams and representatives of th European Forum Alpbach will hold talks to thoroughly discuss each project, including milestones, deliverables, financing and processes.

➐ 31 October to 31 June

Work in Progress

The project team, together with its mentors, will elaborate the project and work on deliverables and outcomes to be presented and/or further discussed at the European Forum Alpbach 2023.

➑ EFA23: Project Presentation and Follow Up

The European Forum Alpbach 2023 will give room to Alpbach Ideas project teams to let them both present their outcome and continue working on their solutions.

➍ 2 to 31 September

Project Submission Period

➌ As of 27 August

Ideas Camp and Project Development ➑ EFA23 Presentation and Follow Up

➋ During EFA22

Collecting Ideas 2

➎ 31 September to 15 October Announcement of Winners

➏ 15 October to 31 October Elaborating an Agreement

➐ 31 October to 31 June

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„Die

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Focus Topic: The Western Balkans and Croatia

AP What objectives is the European Forum Alpbach pursuing with its current focus on the Western Balkans and Croatia?

HT The countries in the Balkans have always played a major role for the European Forum Alpbach, especially during the time Erhard Busek was president of the Forum. His strong commitment to the region was significant in the European arena. Over the last 10 to 15 years, it led to the establishment of a very lively network of clubs in the countries of Southeast Europe. The clubs not only collaborated very actively with each other, individual ones also implemented their own projects, such as the Summer School in Belgrade. In recent years, the activities lessened somewhat in frequency for a variety of reasons, the main one being the pandemic, but the generational change within the clubs posed particular challenges too.

In late 2021, the Efa Executive Board finally resolved to resume its support for the clubs and step up activities in the region. Of course this is not something that can be achieved in a matter of a few months or even a year; it needs to be looked at from a long-term perspective. What we are aiming at with this current focus is to secure the clubs’ activities for the long term, so that young people from the region, who are committed to strengthening their countries in a European context, receive support.

AP What does the collaboration with the region specifically look like?

HT After the board resolution, there were first several online meetings with the region’s club representatives. An initial major meeting took place in Zagreb. In the run-up to and during the meeting there were talks with Advantage Austria, the Austrian Ambassador and ERSTE Bank in order to establish links to businesses and find sponsors for scholarships. For this year this means that more than 40 young people from the region can participate in the European Forum Alpbach.

Meanwhile, another meeting between the Efa and the clubs was held at the end of May in Skopje. Representatives of all clubs of the Western Balkans and Croatia as well as Feri Thierry and other Efa board members attended the fan Spring Conference. The team from North Macedonia was an excellent host and created the perfect conditions for fostering exchange: exchange among each of the clubs, and also among former scholarship holders, the Efa and those participating for

the first time. Building strategic alliances is critical, now especially.

AP Why is particularly this geographic region so important for the European Forum Alpbach?

HT The Forum should be the natural place where you can speak to partners in Europe about the region’s development and integration. Unfortunately, this doesn’t occur automatically, we need to put in an effort to make that happen. And the Efa offers the perfect conditions for it: Austria has something of a pivotal function for Central Europe. Its very close historical ties to the Western Balkans additionally put Austria at a competitive advantage. It can draw on a tremendous wealth of knowledge and continuosly grown connections in the region. Even if possible accessions to the EU have come to a halt: the group of countries has great potential and could make very valuable contributions to the Union.

AP How is this focus going to be reflected in the European Forum Alpbach?

HT Our aim is to establish a long-term collaboration with the region. And, the Western Balkans should be perceived as an entirely natural part of Europe and not as problem areas. To this end, we are planning the integration of a variety of players across all disciplines: the focus will no longer be limited to politics; instead we want to team up with scientists, artists and businesspersons; and especially with people who were abroad and are now –back in their home country — pressing ahead with developments and standing up for a strong Europe for all of us. This will be reflected during the Efa22, when more people from the Western Balkans than ever before will be taking part in the chats, workshops and stage events. This intensified link to the region will also leave a more lasting mark on the European Forum Alpbach and will be reflected throughout the year — particularly due to the collaboration with the clubs and IGs on site.

short bio Efa Board member and Senior Researcher at the Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar in Zagreb, co-founder and managing partner of THE cIVIcS Innovation Hub and the Foundation Znanje na djelu 2016-2018 Deputy Head of the German Federal Agency for Civic Education.

Irene Giner­Reichl, EFA board member, emphasises that in order to meet Europe’s current security challenges, it is essential to consider a broad range of views, standpoints, professional and life experiences as well as to involve civil society, artists, scientists and politicians likewise. In this Panorama issue, Franz Eder and Martin Senn focus on the EU’s options to secure the future of Europe.

AP What will the track »Securing Europe's Future in a Globalised World« contribute to the general theme » The New Europe« ?

IG We will focus on security in its multiple dimensions — and given the war of aggression against Ukraine, there is a heightened urgency to our deliberations. Many people feel that we are at a turning point and that the European — and indeed the post-World War II world order — has been shaken very badly, if it has not been obliterated altogether. Europe — first and foremost the European Union — and European citizens need to take part in the quest for a new peaceful order in Europe and globally. That includes scrutinising the adequacy of European defence policy, looking at the situation in neighbourhoods, examining the quality of partnerships, confronting perceptions of self with perceptions by others, and hopefully opening up new avenues of international cooperation.

Security — in the human security lens that I prefer to adopt — is not only about military security, integrity of territory and upholding a state’s sovereignty as clearly important as that is. There are many interlinkages with the other three thematic strands — there is no human security if climate change makes our earth inhospitable for humans; if lawlessness undermines the functioning of communities; if discrimination excludes from the legitimate enjoyments of rights and

fundamental freedoms; if the lack of public resources perpetuates inherited disadvantages and social exclusion. Human security is about freedom from fear and freedom from want. It is about transmitting to the next generation a Europe where people prosper in freedom and diversity, in a vibrant natural environment, enjoying and practicing solidarity with each other and humanity at large.

AP Which topics will the track focus on?

IG Topics will include the war in Ukraine and the future of Russia; the European vision for a re-ordering of peaceful international relations, European military and defence capacities and strategies, including cyber resilience and food security. Special scrutiny will apply to regions that are of special relevance to the EU , such as the Western Balkans or Asia, and the transatlantic relationship.

AP Why is it important that all generations engage in discussions on these topics?

IG The future of Europe belongs to all generations, to all social strata, to all ethnic backgrounds, to women and men alike.

The questions we are going to raise have no »right/false« answers; there is no black and white. It is more important to bring a broad range of views, standpoints, professional and life experiences to Alpbach, to hear from civil society, mavericks and artists just as much as we hear from holders of public office and the »usual suspects« …

Alpbach has a long tradition of offering »seminars« to young people from many parts of the world. In 2022, we will continue this tradition in a modified version. We also want to empower representatives of the younger generation to engage in all program elements and to bring their particular approaches to the questions under debate.

AP What do you personally expect from the Efa22 sessions within the track?

IG I hope that we are serious and honest with one another. That we neither fall prey to self-flattering nor to self-flagellation. Europe faces major problems, in particular in the security area. Europe also commands tremendous potential. I expect E fa 22 to shine a light on dimensions of Europe’s resilience, international standing, and its capacity to project a positive vision of a future for all.

short bio

Irene Giner-Reichl is an Austrian diplomate with thematic priority in global development, environment and multilateral cooperation. Among others, she worked as Austrian Ambassador in China and Brazil. For years she has published and educated people in women rights and sustainable energy.

A European Awakening in Foreign and Security Policy?

Franz Eder Martin Senn

When the Treaty of Maastricht established the Common Foreign and Security Policy (cfSP), the European Union started promoting itself as a »civilian power«. This was a deliberate counter-concept to raw power politics in international affairs. In the view of Europe, hard power had lost its relevance in a world of economic globalisation. Against the background of this world view, promoting international trade, strengthening the rule-based international order, securing energy supplies, and preventing migration became the top priorities of EU foreign policy. At the same time, however, questions of military power and questions of how to strengthen the European security architecture became marginalised.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022 was therefore a harsh reality check for the European Union. After a short period of shock, in which single members states such as Poland and the Baltic States but also the United States of America took the lead in reacting to Russia’s aggression, Brussels retook the initiative and set out a bold re-orientation

of its foreign policy with its strategy document »A Strategic Compass for Security and Defence « . In contrast to the 2003 EU Security Strategy and the 2016 Global Strategy, this Council document envisions a fundamental change of the Union’s strategic thinking. As Josep Borrell, the High Representative and Vice-President of the Commission, argues in the foreword, the world is now »shaped by raw power politics«, and the »very principles upon which international relations are built« are at stake. According to this Strategic Compass, the EU has » to make a quantum leap forward and increase [the] capacity and willingness to act, strengthen [the] resilience and ensure solidarity and mutual assistance«. In this ambitious foreign and security policy agenda, the Union has to reinforce civilian and military capabilities, build and strengthen common command and control structures, and foster its relationship with naTo, the transatlantic partnership, and selected partners all over the world. At the same time, it has to ensure this transformation

short bio

ate

international

»in a collaborative way and not in a fragmented, national manner«.

It is still too early to tell whether Russia’s war against Ukraine is the beginning of Europe’s awakening in foreign and security policy or yet another missed opportunity. Yet it would not be surprising if the current crisis would have a cathartic effect on the European integration process. An urgently needed and sustainable re-orientation in the area of foreign, security and defence policy, and especially a deeper integration in this policy field, has to address at least five challenges.

First, the EU needs a common foreign and security policy that is in sync with the member states and their national interests. The EU must not be seen as a convenient vehicle to further certain national economic interests (first and foremost Germany), whereas others refrain from taking foreign- and defencepolicy positions at all (e.g., Austria). Member states have to make up their minds about their visions for a future European security architecture before they bring together these visions at the Union level and search for a common strategy on how to achieve it.

Second, the member states and the Union have to clarify what role military instruments play in foreign and security policy. How can member states contribute and pool their resources to a common defence? A Europe with 27 separate military organisations that fail to coordinate military investments, that lack common command and control structures, and that put national organisational politics over common European interests, will never achieve the necessary military capabilities needed.

Third, in this context, member states also have to think about their understanding of and commitment to the mutual assistance clause (Art. 42/7 of the Treaty on the European Union). In particular, this

is true for the neutral states in the Union. They have to think hard about how to resolve the tension between neutrality and (European) solidarity.

Fourth, in the process of thinking about the future of the European security architecture, the EU and its member states have to address the question of how to shape their relations with the United States, Russia, and China in the long term. As far as the United States is concerned, Europe has to grapple with uncertainties of its commitment to European security. In view of the domestic polarisation and isolationist tendencies in the United States, strategic autonomy should become real policy rather than a mere catchword. Vis-à-vis Russia, Europe has to address the difficult question of how to integrate it into a new security architecture. Even though this may seem counter-intuitive at a moment when Russian troops commit atrocities in Ukraine and when Western policies are directed towards the containment of Russian aggression, leaving Russia completely outside this architecture would be a source of constant tensions and military conflict. Concerning the People’s Republic, the EU has to reconsider whether its policy of change via trade (that failed miserably in the case of Russia) is the right answer in confronting China on its way to the next economic and military superpower.

Finally, even if the Union achieves to address these challenges, it has to avoid the mistake of letting the pendulum swing too far into the direction of power politics. Other pressing challenges such as climate change, migration or poverty that cannot be solved by military means will continue to affect Europe in the near and distant future. Thus, the EU has to manage both — it has to adapt to the future of power politics without abandoning its past as a civilian power.

Martin Senn is associ-

professor of

relations at the Department of Political Science of the University of Innsbruck and guest lecturer at the Vienna School of International Studies.

short bio

Franz Eder is an associate professor for foreign and security policy at the Department of Political Science, University of Innsbruck.

International cultural institutions, artists, and local scholarship holders conceive and realise experimental and interdisciplinary works that are specifically tailored to the EFA. At this year’s event, designer and artist Theresa Hattinger presents an artistic intervention in public space, while musician Clemens Wenger provides a sound collage with Alpbach inhabitants and scholarship holders. Concerts amidst the Alps will be further artistic highlights during the EFA22.

On Sunday, 28 August 2022, several regional choirs will be giving a public performance together in Alpbach. A piece of music (composition and words) will be commissioned especially for the choirs. Ahead of the event, we asked the choir members to get in the mood for their joint performance and confronted them with the following questions.

If Alpbach village were a sound, what sound do you think it would be?

What sound do you miss in Alpbach?

If you want to let your thoughts run free, what music and what sounds inspire you?

What would the future sound like to you if you compared it to a sound?

How would you describe your choir with just one word?

ES Right now each of you is developing an art project for the European Forum Alpbach 2022. What we find important is that people who are once again meeting face to face in Alpbach get a chance to start feeling things again, that we appeal to their senses!

Clemens, you’re in the process of developing a soundscape and are pondering the question of how to transform Alpbach village into a sound instrument. Theresa, your installation for public spaces in Alpbach is all about ways in which we can return to making decisions by including our senses. In our interview, I would like to invite you both to reflect on the prevailing mood you are currently in with regard to your artistic process. You developed your ideas independently, yet they react to each other and will be presented together.

CW I was inspired by something I found in an old Forum Alpbach programme from the sixties: It was called ‘record concerts’. They would set up a record player somewhere, curate a programme and play rare recordings. I can picture it quite well, how everyone sat spellbound around the record player and listened to some recordings that might have been very hard to find back then. I imagine that people used to listen to music and its sounds more closely than we do today. After all, we’re exposed to background music and sounds all day long. I loved the idea of transferring such a nice old-fashioned format, where you play something to others, to the present day. And that’s how we got talking about these ‘listening stations’ and about a mixture of sound installation, collage and lots of recordings from all over the world.

TH As for me, I was inspired by two things: one of them was when you told Elisabeth that there was once a visitor of the Efa who kept passing through a huge art installation at the entrance of the Congress Centre Alpbach (cca) over several days without noticing it once. I realised then that it would have to be something I would not simply be able to walk past. And the second inspiration was something funny that happened to me when I was about to buy two tickets at the museum, just after the ticket office had opened. After a queue had already formed, the ticket seller tried to herd the line of people into a guide rail system. He started setting up those posts, fixing the belts and so on. In the end, of course, the first were the last and vice versa. It was just very amusing. I thought to myself then that I wanted to create something where people had to voice their opinion on a subject in public. On the other hand, it isn’t really the voicing of an opinion as the question itself is unspecific. What I want to do is to bring about a discourse.

CW You know, I’ve already seen drafts of your ‘decision trees’. That immediately reminded me of the airport: Of priority class and other classes. A kind of categorisation for which you first pay a price. But it’s good to be able to make decisions without having to pay for it.

TH I want to take advantage of this perceived unambiguousness. Normally you know where you have to go.

CW Having to commit yourself to some sort of groups is an interesting subject. People are always being manoeuvred into such situations where they are asked very clearly to show their true colours, but very often it’s not that easy.

ES Clemens, with your soundscapes you don’t immediately have to show your true colours, but you gave some thought to the two expressions which also seem to be opposites: listening and hearing. In English (other than in German) there are two totally different words!

Wenger lives and works in Vienna as a musician and composer for contemporary jazz, pop, and electronic music. He initiated the JazzWerkstatt Wien and acts as head of the Viennese soul band 5/8erl in Ehr’n for 18 years.

CW In fact, the conceptual duality of listening and hearing occurred to me after I saw a draft of your installation, Theresa. In German we might refer to hören versus zuhören. Actually this is quite an important factor for a forum that is intended to enable dialogue, the fact that you listen actively. This listening is an essential democratic tool in society, and not only where music and our senses are concerned. There are plenty of courses where you can practise your rhetoric and learn how to convince others of your opinion. But far too little consideration is given to active listening, to understanding something without instantly having to react to it. Allowing yourself to be impressed by an opinion or a sound — that’s something which naturally interests me as a musician and a composer. And that’s exactly what we want to offer in our sound installation. Just 30-second to two-minute slots, not a continuous installation. Pieces of music from soundscapes that are somehow dreamed up and mixed together to form a collage. We want to invite people to actively listen and then to keep calm, or calm down.

TH When you think about the Forum, a lot of charged content comes to mind, much of it is about opinions and forming opinions fast. You hear something and you must join in the discussion straight away, and if you’re too slow you’re stupid. Compared to that, the music and the sphere in general which you’re planning are things of beauty, because they immediately draw your attention but remain so informal.

CW Well, something I’d really find beautiful would be if peo-

Hattinger is an interdisciplinary artist and designer who works with typography, textiles, space, and drawings. Primarily, her work takes place in public spaces. She displayed her works in Vienna, St. Pölten, Leipzig, and Havana and collaboratively worked on stage design for experimental, performative theatre and urban exploration projects. She also published a children’s book and lives and works in Vienna.

short bio

short bio

ple who enjoy doing a lot of talking and are good at it stayed silent for five minutes and put on the headphones. And if you could just watch them doing it, watch them listening. I’ve been to the Forum twice and there were some brilliant talkers there. Once I saw Richard David Precht. No wonder he, as a philosopher, is such a public figure: it’s because he’s so good at talking. But I’d love to see him listening and not just constantly talking.

ES Theresa, do you think that your intervention in a could change the fundamental energy and the encounter culture of the people in Alpbach?

TH It’s going to be a total experiment, and I imagine that half the people will probably stroll right through it quickly without wanting to look around, because they’re not keen on being distracted. And then again, there might be this other group which is open to discourse and starts considering: Now how did I interpret this word yesterday? Why did I walk through on this side? I like this moment, because even the people who ignore it have to walk through and think about it, if only for a short time. And yes, it only appears to be a decision. That’s how it can be understood.

ES Just now, we have a situation in the world where Europe must decide, and also many people must decide, always individually, on which side they are on. How appealing is it to you to design an installation where you put people in a situation that provokes what appears to be a decision.

»It has something to do with our habit of only reading the headlines. To me as an individual, a particular word may bring to mind a whole bunch of associations, but the person right next to me might think of something completely different.«

TH It has something to do with our habit of only reading the headlines. To me as an individual, a particular word may bring to mind a whole bunch of associations, but the person right next to me might think of something completely different. Actually, everyone ought to give much more thought to decisions like these. Every decision is more a question of socialisation than an opinion that I have actually made an effort to form. So how do I really interpret this word? In this respect, your decision and my decision are not the same, even if we walked through on the same side.

ES How do you approach your project, who is involved in it and what do you expect from it at the European Forum Alpbach 2022?

TH There is a selection I made spontaneously; additions will be made to it in coordination with the team and in accordance with the E fa 22 themes.

CW The idea is to collect sound recordings from the scholarship holders, mix them into a collage and incorporate them into the scenery at two places in Alpbach — in front of the cca and on the village square. It’s going to be a collage of sounds from all over the world, but also music which I will improvise, inspired by the collected sounds. It takes a rhythm, an arch and dynamics, which — combined with the material — give time a shape. I don’t do this on the drawing board, I like to play with it. And then I reflect on it, rearrange it and carry on playing.

TH It would really be cool if the participants of the Efa22 entered discussions and encounters differently on account of our projects. But that is one very optimistic wish. Nevertheless, people are sure to benefit from actively withdrawing for a moment.

»The idea is to collect sound recordings from the scholarship holders, mix them into a collage and incorporate them into the scenery at two places in Alpbach — in front of the CCA and on the village square.«

CW Organising public art in places such as Alpbach is pretty important. No one will be able to pass by Theresa’s installation and that’s a good thing. There are always such a lot of topics and too many interests swirling around in Alpbach, that’s why it’s a good thing to steer them somewhere, in an artistic way.

Technologies as the Key to Overcoming Crises

The technology community is meeting at this year’s European Forum Alpbach to consider possible solutions to the multiple crises facing us today — from energy transition and more resilient supply chains to modern medical and communications technologies.

Martin Kugler, Austrian Institute of Technology

A recent report by the Stockholm-based International Peace Research Institute SIPRI details that we are living in a new era of complex and often unpredictable risks. Multiple crises overlap and reinforce one another: the Corona crisis, climate change, biodiversity loss, energy crisis, the war in Ukraine. These and many other geopolitical tensions are increasingly affecting the lives of more and more people.

The multiple crises have massive economic and social impacts. These range from a shift in the terms of trade and thus prosperity in different regions to social tensions that can be a threat to democracy. Technologies offer an important key to overcoming these crisis phenomena — this is the firm conviction of

Hannes Androsch, doyen of the technology symposium from the very beginning. The traditional meeting of the technology community in Alpbach is curated by the aIT Austrian Institute of Technology and oRf Radio Ö1 in cooperation with the European Forum Alpbach. The programme of these talks — along the four thematic tracks of the European Forum Alpbach 2022 — follows the major challenges facing humanity.

Global supply chains

Starting with the corona crisis and now massively intensified by the war in Ukraine, energy security has become a top issue of our days. What is needed is a comprehensive transformation of our energy system toward a system that si-

multaneously ensures security of supply and climate protection. An international panel of top researchers and industry representatives is looking for ways to completely rethink our energy system. The panel will discuss fundamental requirements for the future energy supply and for ways to make our use of resources more resilient, sustainable and secure. The energy crisis is embedded in the turmoil facing international supply chains. These lifelines of the global economy have been running anything but smoothly since the outbreak of the pandemic: closed ports and slaughterhouses, shortages of containers, lack of truck drivers, etc. Thus, supply routes for both the industry and global food supply have become uncertain. Top-class experts will analyse the underlying common mechanisms for seemingly unrelated developments from the perspective of complexity research and practice. This will provide a solid basis for conceptualising a more resilient and climate-friendly global economic system.

RNA-based medicine

Just how crucial technology can be in shaping the future has recently become clear, particularly in biotechnology: innovative Rna-based vaccines have proved to be rapidly available and effective weapons in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. In recent years, it has become clear in laboratories around the world that this technology can do much more: numerous areas of medicine, especially the treatment of cancer, but also, for example, the regeneration of damaged tissue, can benefit greatly from Rna-based therapeutics. In cooperation with the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers, the opportunities as well as the risks and hurdles for this medical field of hope will be discussed.

Of course, technology is always a coin with two sides: Knives or automo-

biles are very useful things, but they can also be misused as lethal weapons. The same applies to information and communication technologies. Not least in the war in Ukraine, the internet has become a war zone — an infowar and a cyberwar are raging. On the one hand, the real fighting in Ukraine is accompanied on social media by videos of battles, fleeing people and bombed buildings. In the fight for narratives, heroic stories seamlessly line up with disinformation. On the other hand, hacktivists are engaged in an exchange of blows using all digital means at their disposal: from the shadows of the internet, warlike hacker groups attempt to damage the other side and to paralyse infrastructures, among other things.

Integrative power of the arts

At the meeting of the technology community in Alpbach, the role of the arts in the necessary transformations facing our social and economic system will also be intensively discussed. An interdisciplinary debate in cooperation with the University of Applied Arts Vienna will outline new ways to encourage people to rethink, to act, and to creatively prepare society for future upheavals.

RTI talk: Debate on future solutions

»New Europe« is facing great challenges, and it is urgent that new answers are given from Europe itself. In the opening RTI talk, which has become a valued tradition, top representatives of politics and industry will be on hand to answer questions.

Finally, this year again the personal exchange and intensive further processing of the four thematic tracks of the Forum are possible. Highly attractive and solid content sessions deepen these topics, far from marketing and advertising purposes. In preparation for reading and further input before the talks, the yearbook » Discussing Technology« will be published again this year; it is dedicated to the topic »Applying Artificial Intelligence«

In the activist spirit of Alpbach, we will examine opportunities to revive the European story with-in the digital economy of the 21st century. In intergenerational dialogues, Andreas Treichl will discuss how to further develop the continent into a vibrant capital market. Featuring in this chapter is also economist Rolf Strauch, who puts emphasis on financial challenges that families and firms are currently facing.

The Financing of Europe’s Future

AP What will the track »The Financing of Europe’s Future« contribute to the general theme »The New Europe« ?

AT Certainly a lot! The war in Ukraine has resulted in severe disruptions of trade and financial flows as well as in a collapse in asset values. These developments will lead to a re-orientation of economic interlinkages, not only in Europe but also globally, in a way we have not witnessed in decades. While debt levels have already been increasing steadily over the last years, these disruptions will pose additional challenges, not only to the growth but also to the financial underpinning of numerous companies. Eventually, those who will have to bear the consequences of these developments are numerous industries as well as private individuals — especially the ones who are financially non-resilient. I strongly believe that it is Europe’s obligation not to leave anyone behind in this context. Consequently, the track »The Financing of Europe’s Future« will address the major financial drivers and consequences of these developments. Looking back, Europe had an impressive post-world war development by providing growth, jobs, social security, and stability in an unprecedented manner. Recent events though, like the health crisis and Russia’s war in Ukraine, have shown us that Europe has become more and more vulnerable. In Alpbach we want to examine how Europe can flourish even in times of volatility.

AP

On which topics will the track focus?

AT The track focuses on the major economic and financial consequences of Russia’s war in Ukraine. If we want to rise to these challenges, we require additional finance. Without well-functioning financial markets and a better developed European capital market, our efforts to master these consequences will not bear fruit. Now more than ever, we need to ensure that European citizens have fair access to financial instruments. We need to highlight the importance of economic and financial education across all walks of life to be able to secure Europe’s future and the financial independence of its citizens. At the same time, we look at fundamental digital developments, from crypto to decentralised finance, which are about to change our traditional financial system for good. Europe must not fall behind in the global competition for digital innovation in comparison to Asia and the USa . Therefore, we need to take the right steps towards more integrated financial markets and a more positive view on entrepreneurship. Finally, to revive the European success story, we must have a close look at the impact of rising social imbalances as well.

AP Why is it important that all generations engage in discussions on these topics?

AT Cross-generational dialogue is a core element of the European Forum Alpbach. It is our clear mission to bring together people from all parts of society and invite them to an interdisciplinary exchange of ideas. Young scholarship holders from all over Europe — and beyond — have the opportunity to engage with people from academia, politics, and business. By doing so, we want to spark ideas and actions for a strong and democratic Europe. For this, we need to include the youth at all costs, as they are the ones who are affected by the rising inequality or the current monetary policy. For many of them, it will hardly be possible to build up assets from their own income alone. Clearly, there is a lot of work ahead of us. It is precisely this mindset of sharing and challenging ideas between different generations which have inspired so many to come to Alpbach ever since its founding in 1945.

AP What do you personally expect from the Efa22 sessions within the track?

AT As a father of three sons, I want to envision a prosperous European future — not only for the current generation but also for those to follow. To succeed in that, we need to see the opportunities and also the challenges which lie ahead of us: Europe is not yet a data union, a network union, a transport union, an education union, a capital markets union and only to a limited extent a fiscal union. Obviously, we need to address these challenges while interlinking it with the Security, Democracy and Climate Tracks. Various formats such as a threeday retreat, stage discussions, workshops and hikes will foster interdisciplinary and interactive exchange between speakers, experts, and participants. Right now, it is essential to turn this momentum into an opportunity for a strong and peaceful Europe — for the New Europe!

short bio

Andreas Treichl, the president of the Efa, served for more than 23 years as cEo of Erste Group, one of the leading retails banks in cEE. In 2003 he founded ERTSE Foundation, which is the bank’s main owner and acts as an nGo, utilising dividends for social and cultural projects in the region.

Terms of Trade Shock and the Loss of Wealth — Are We Heading Back to the 1970s?

Rolf Strauch

The Russian invasion of Ukraine is undoubtedly a humanitarian and geopolitical tragedy that is also stifling economic recovery from the pandemic and introducing renewed uncertainties. Households and companies are facing supply disruptions and higher prices. The rise in energy prices and in a broad range of products has reached an unprecedented pace not seen in the Economic Monetary Union so far, raising questions about how families and firms can address these costs. Targeted fiscal support can help cushion the blow to vulnerable households. Governments can help by pushing the energy transition forward and by reducing or diversifying energy import dependencies.

Consequences of a multiple crises

The current increase in oil, gas, grain, and metal prices translates into major changes in terms of trade for countries around the world (i.e., the relative price of their imports and exports).

Over the past year, the price of energy and other commodities imported into the euro area increased faster than the price of its exports, disadvantaging its economy. The rebound of global demand following the pandemic crisis initially drove this change. Initially, euro area economies suffered from the higher costs of imports, but higher demands for its exports partially balanced this out. Renewed supply shortages emerging from the war now drive up prices in goods exported by Ukraine and Russia (and imported by Europe), such as energy, food, and metals.

Real income loss — from deteriorating terms of trade — has reached magnitudes comparable to the big oil price shock of the 1970s. The terms of trade deterioration will add to inflationary pressures in the euro area and put a dent

on growth. First, the inflationary pressure will hinge on how commodity prices will affect the cost of living, which may only be fully apparent in a year. Later, the inflationary effect will depend on how they affect wage- and price-setting. The precise impact will differ across euro area countries, depending on each country’s energy dependency, trade structure and wage-bargaining system.

While there are fears that the euro area may end up in an extended period of » stagflation « (combination of higher prices and low growth) like in the 1970s and 1980s, several arguments point to Europe’s higher resilience to energy price shocks than in the past.

Higher resilience

First, lower energy dependency has made the euro area economies less vulnerable to energy price hikes. Energy consumption per person has been declining over the past decades. Similarly, the energy intensity — i.e., energy used to produce a given level of output — has decreased, weakening the impact of fuel price increases. Also, the share of energy in European countries’ foreign trade has declined overall. This has a lot to do with the energy mix within euro area countries, which have increased their production of nuclear and renewable energy (see Figure 1). There are substantive differences in the specific structure of the energy sector across countries.

Second, labour markets function differently than in the past and generate less persistent inflationary pressures. Today, labour unions are less powerful than in the 1970s as they rally a lower share of workers behind them. In addition, there is less wage indexation wage setting, which

short bio

Rolf Strauch is Chief Economist and Management Board Member in charge of Economic and Market Analysis, Economic Risk Analysis and Financial Sector and Market Analysis of the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) and the European Financial Stability Facility (EfSf).

Figure 1

Electricity generation in the EU (in terawatt hours)

Source: British Petroleum

automatically links wages to price increases. In earlier crises, especially after the second oil price shock, many workers would also retire early or otherwise drop out of the labour market entirely (see Figure 2). This increased wage pressure and is much less visible now due to past reforms. Third, the European Central Bank can build on its strong reputation, as inflation expectations have remained aligned with the objective of price stability over the medium-term. Once inflation expectations become de-anchored (i.e., consumers and businesses do not believe the central bank will meet its price stability objective), tighter than expected monetary policy may be required to re-anchor them. This is more costly for growth, as higher interest rates push up the cost of borrowing and weaken consumption and investment.

Policy measures

In terms of policy response, the loss of wealth cannot be entirely avoided or corrected. The increases in energy and food prices will affect the

poorest most, as they consume a large part of their earnings. Governments can aim to cushion the impact for the most vulnerable with targeted policies. For firms, the need for policy support depends on how energy-intensive the sector is and on whether access to financing from banks and markets remains possible. From a longer-term perspective, a rapid and effective deployment of the Next Generation EU fund seems increasingly vital. Enforcing the green transformation and strengthening energy diversity was already a key objective for the future, but a crisis has made the urgency to act more acute.

Uncertainty remains

Deteriorating terms of trade lead to a loss of income and wealth, but the euro area economy is overall better prepared to weather commodity price hikes than in the past. This should make its impact less persistent, but one just must be mindful that it is unknown how the war will evolve and that medium- to long-term repercussions are uncertain.

Figure 2

Labour force participation rate in the euro area with the 12 member countries until 2021 (15—64 years)

Note: Grey bars refer to the Centre for Economic Policy Research recession definition. Source: European Commission (aMEco database), Centre for Economic Policy Research

In the light of current geopolitical realities, interdependencies between the climate crises and geopolitics have become apparent. Consequently, Rana Adib, Executive Director of REN21 and Nebojša Nakićenović , author and former Deputy Director General of IIASA, urge for energy transformation and a new energy order. These developments also require social change. Marie Ringler, EFA vice president, is convinced that Alpbach provides the perfect environment for individuals who give themselves permission to act, to think big and hence to promote this needed social change.

AP What will the track »The Climate Opportunity« contribute to the general theme »The New Europe« ?

MR In light of the current geopolitical realities on the ground, the interdependencies between the climate crisis and geopolitics have become apparent. The connection has always existed, yet we have had the tendency to push climate change and its all-encompassing effects to the back of our minds. In order to challenge this perspective, »The Climate Opportunity« track will let us have a close look at the levels at which climate crisis issues are connected to other global questions and crises. We will seek to understand how we can get better at addressing and solving crises that show their consequences in the long run and whose implications for the future may be too complex to comprehend at their onset.

In the energy debate, we wish to make it a point in Alpbach that we

cannot allow ourselves to let our insatiable demand for energy torpedo our global and European climate action goals. We must see this situation of insecure energy supply as an opportunity to focus our actions on enabling a sustainable, just and inclusive (energy) transition that really deserves this name.

Europe has the opportunity to become a real leader when it comes to tackling not only the threats but also opportunities of the ongoing climate crisis. The European Green Deal serves well as a blueprint that guides policies and action in the coming years. If we are able to mobilise everyone behind its core principles and to take action, we could bring about a European response that inspires and goes beyond political pragmatism. If Europe were to show the way, others will follow.

AP Which topics will the track focus on?

MR We chose the framing of the Climate Opportunity Track to not only add to the discussion by reframing our current situation but to specifically surface untapped potential and ideas, low hanging fruits and missed opportunities.

So many questions related to the provision of our energy sources have been with us since the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine. The topics of sustainable energy generation and energy security will thus play a key role within the programme. How to mobilise people and resources for purposeful climate action has been the sparking question with which we launched »The Climate Opportunity« track last year. We want to build on this, as I firmly believe that all of us have a role in solving the climate crisis. Equally, I daresay that the urgency for action has become mainstream thinking by now, and we wish to leverage this emerging mindset by sparking action towards renewal, systemic change, and transformative solutions.

AP Why is it important that all generations engage in discussions on these topics?

MR There is a huge momentum among the young generation demanding truly sustainable action and responsible decision-making. We should be grateful for how much they press for urgency in their demands and how uncomfortable their requests may feel for some parts of the political and corporate elite. The young generation is more thorough ly informed than ever, and it knows that its demands are based on scientific findings. Instead of leaving young people out in the cold, let’s have them guide us in shaping where the journey of our future needs to go.

At the same time, we also need to radically rethink how we think of representation and what we conceive as democratic processes. It is a lost potential for change if voters above 70 years of age have four times more voting power than voters below 20, as is currently the case in Austria, for example. We need to go beyond mere discussions with the youth – if we really want to induce systemic transformation, it is crucial that young people’s voices have a weight in decision-making processes.

AP What do you personally expect from the sessions within the track?

MR Social change has always come from individuals, like you and me, who gave themselves permission to act, to think big. When every one of us takes action in our different roles in society, we can truly unleash the creativity needed to overcome the greatest challenge humanity has every faced.

In Alpbach, we want to show that by working together, focusing on the opportunities and taking action rather than continuing to delay or work with temporary fixes, with creativity and ingenuity we can use this climate crisis to achieve solutions that mitigate climate change, but, notably, also to »multi-solve« the many other inequalities and challenges we are facing.

We hope that after 2 September, everyone who has been to Alpbach will see perspectives rather than obstacles, holistic interconnections and solutions rather than dispersed questions.

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Marie Ringler is the european head of the world’s largest network of social entrepreneurs, Ashoka. She is a politics and innovation expert and contributes her broad knowledge particularly to the track The Climate Opportunity.

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Energy Transformation is a Herculean Challenge with Multiple Benefits for All

Humanity is facing formidable challenges, from war and food insecurity to the pandemic and ever-increasing pressure on the Earth systems including climate change. Important commitments have been made since the adoption of the United Nations 2030 Agenda with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015, but not nearly enough given the Herculean task ahead. To achieve the Paris Agreement, greenhouse gas emissions need to follow the »carbon law« , namely be halved every de-cade and approach net zero by mid-century — and yet the global emissions have increased at an unprecedented rate last year. Ambitious commitments have been made by many nations during the Glasgow Climate Conference last year. Importantly, Europe is poised to become the first fully decarbonised continent by 2050 (Fit for 55 legislature) while Austria has committed to achieve this ambitious climate target a decade earlier and complete electricity decarbonisation in merely eight years.

The key are renewables

Energy is central to the challenge of achieving climate neutrality of the world. The priority is to invest in decarbonisation and efficiency. The key are renewables because they are often the cheapest source of energy and would catalyse the pervasive transformation toward efficiency and zero-carbon electricity. Major challenges are mobility, transport, heating, and cooling. Electric and hydrogen vehicles and heat pumps would lead to decarbonisation and substantially higher efficiencies. This should be complemented by investments in other essential components of the energy system such as hydrogen and other zero-carbon energy carriers. Of special importance is the carbon capture and removal from sustainable biomass and nature-based solutions such as reafforestation and sustainable agricultural practices that would all result in net negative emissions that would be needed especially in case the world does not achieve climate neutrality by mid-century. This fundamental transformation would bring multiple co-benefits for health, climate and

other challenges facing humanity and especially for those without access to affordable and clean energy services. But the transformation is not a merely technical and economic issue. It is about people, about societies and about values and behaviours. This means that new inclusive governance approaches would need to be integrated in energy policies to make the transition successful and just.

Support for households at risk

Of highest importance in the wake of escalating energy prices is to initiate an immediate support for households at risk of energy poverty. Some 30 million Europeans have been facing this risk even before the enormous increase of energy prices so that now the number must be substantially larger. In addition, upfront investments to increase the share of low-carbon, less import-dependent and more affordable and reliable energy should be supported because this would reduce energy costs and import dependence in the long term. In Europe, revenues from carbon trading permits and carbon tax could be used to achieve these two important financing goals in a revenue-neutral way.

Policies, measures and instruments

The transformation should be catalysed by support of a coordinated combination of policies, measures and instruments, including carbon pricing as a driving force, to shape an effective, consistent and just regulatory system. It is essential, however, that the revenues from auctions of tradable permits or from carbon tax are used to support those at the risk of energy poverty as well as to support energy innovation and investments toward efficiency and decarbonisation.

In its 2021 Scientific Opinion on the energy transition in Europe, the Group of Chief Scientific Advisors to the European Commission puts people at the centre. It recognises the essential roles of all actors and stakeholders in creating an inclusive and participatory environment so that decarbonisation and efficiency are the preferred and most natural choice of all to achieve a sustainable, safe and just future.

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The author is Emeritus Scholar and the former Deputy Director General of IIaSa , former tenured Professor of Energy Economics at Vienna University of Technology and is a Member of the Group of Seven Chief Scientific Advisors to the European Commission.

Nebojša Nakićenović

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A New Energy Order

2021 was supposed a new, greener beginning. While the year offered bright spots of hope, the historical chance for a green recovery has been lost. The spike in energy prices in the second half of the year, followed by the Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, contributed to an unprecedented global energy crisis to which governments responded with short-term measures to keep energy under control. This situation has exposed the world to evermore pressing climate disasters and the rising threat of energy poverty for billions of people.

It doesn’t have to be this way. The deployment of renewable energy associated with energy saving and energy efficiency measures can address our energy vulnerability and drive a global and local socio-economic development that is resilient, inclusive, fair and equitable.

Renewable energy systems build on local renewable resources — wind, solar, water/hydro, biomass, geothermal — and, with the appropriate technologies, allow for decentralised generation. This is the building block of a local and decentralised, interconnected and more resilient energy system.

A growing diversity of energy producers

With the right regulatory framework, the decentralised nature of renewable energy also enables a diversity of players – including city governments, companies and citizens – to become energy producers. In 2021, across the world, corporate power purchase agreements increased by 24 % to more than 31 GW (compared to an 18 % increase to 24.7 GW in 2020). Community energy projects also have emerged from Japan and Germany to Nigeria and the Unit-

ed States, and more than 1,500 cities had renewable energy targets and/or policies in 2021, up from 1,300 in 2020.

Moving away from fossil fuel also results in reducing import dependence and in strengthening energy security and sovereignty. Some countries heavily rely on energy imports to cover demand. The EU imports 97 % of its oil and petroleum needs and 84 % of its natural gas needs. Developing renewable generation reduces and could even replace fossil fuel imports and limit the vulnerability to geopolitical threats and the fluctuating and rising fossil fuel prices.

Renewables’ further potential

Renewables also carry the potential to transforming value chains and stimulating local economic development. They create jobs throughout the energy value chain, from manufacturing to installation to maintenance. More than 12 million people work in renewable energy jobs, and (re)skilling engineers, installers and workers as drivers of the energy transition offers massive economic and human development opportunities.

The urgency of collective action

The current energy crisis must be a turning point to replace fossil fuels with renewables, and we must seize this historic moment to usher in a systemic transformation of the global economy and society as we know it. Renewable energy needs to become the backbone not only of our energy system, but our economy and society. This requires courage and collaboration among governments, industry and citizens. Collectively, we can and must transform ambition into action and results — now!

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Rana Adib is the Executive Director of REn21. Prior to REn21, she worked in private industry and applied research in the areas of renewable energy, energy access and waste management, gathering over 20 years of experience in the energy sector.

Rana Adib

With Russia’s war in Ukraine, we are finding ourselves at a historical turning point. EFA vice president and political philosopher Katja Gentinetta is convinced that at this stage, building »The New Europe« means to rethink strategies for coping with the spread of authoritarianism and citizens’ loss of trust in democracies as well as to develop creative ideas for building resilient democracies. Within this context, Stefanie Wöhl, professor of political science, emphasises the urgency to consider the organisation of care on a wellinterconnected European continent.

AP What will the track » The Future of Democracy and the Rule of Law in Europe « contribute to the general theme » The New Europe « ?

KG We are presently finding ourselves at a historical turning point. Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine is a war that concerns all of Europe — not only because it represents one of the most pressing security threats in recent European history, but also because this aggression is targeting the core values of European democracies and Europe’s self-understanding.

Moreover, the trending global crisis of democracies is also a big concern in Europe: building the New Europe means to rethink strategies for coping with the spread of authoritarianism and citizens’ loss of trust in democracies as well as to develop creative ideas for building resilient democracies.

Interview withWe need new concepts and solutions, and we urgent-

ly need to listen and learn from each other because this change needs to be founded upon a broad social consensus that should be supported across all sectors and generations of society. The track » The Future of Democracy and the Rule of Law in Europe « offers engaging spaces for debating these issues and for moving this important project forward.

AP On which topics will the track focus?

KG The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine has been a catalyst for intensified cooperation in key areas amongst European states. But the question is: Is this enough? We are finding ourselves at a critical juncture, which bears potential for setting a new normative compass for Europe’s future. The track will focus on this opportunity.

»I look forward to an inspiring learning experience and new connections, which is a fundamental element of Alpbach’s magic.«

Another focus will be on how to tackle democratic backslides. The curbing of civic spaces which are fundamental to democratic participation, disinformation and the struggle to maintain rule of law are some of the main challenges we need to address for securing Europe’s democratic future. We need to regain citizens’ trust and to forge a more active engagement in our future political systems.

Ultimately, this also requires us to rethink more generally our very concept of democracy and of political leadership.

AP Why is it important that all generations engage in discussions on these topics?

KG E fa has a unique history of involving youth since its founding moment, and we believe youth is an important voice in shaping our future. The involvement of all generations and cross-sectoral dialogue are necessary to learn from each other’s perspectives and to become aware of the complexities of societal issues to which we respond differently depending on our situatedness. Especially for the younger generation it is important to learn the lesson of trade-offs and strategic compromises, as reality is only the second best world we can live in.

E fa aims to move issues forward and demands that we take the value of decision-making seriously. And for making good choices, we need inclusive spaces that help becoming aware of each other’s dreams and hopes as well as to navigate different interests and create collective responses.

AP What do you personally expect from the European Forum Alpbach 2022 sessions within the track?

KG I look forward to an inspiring learning experience and new connections, which is a fundamental element of Alpbach’s magic. And I sincerely hope that we will find a common and concrete starting point to move Europe forward.

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Katja Gentinetta is a political philosopher, business columnist and university lecturer. In her works she draws on her broad background of experience and indepth knowledge of the logic of policits, the needs and perceptions in society and the demands of the corporate world.

Who Cares for the EU?

A Feminist Edge on Less Visible Challenges Ahead

If the European community was »born out of crisis« , 2022 surely marks a year of multiple crises: the ongoing war in Ukraine, the pandemic, the refugee crisis, the climate crisis and the care crisis are major challenges that need to be tackled by the European Union and its member states. The Russian attack on Ukraine has certainly advanced a more unitary picture of the EU . However, there are still member states that refuse to fully adhere to EU law, and there are ongoing disputes that need to be overcome. One central dispute concerns the EU’s future engagement with social policy and the organisation of care, which deeply affects the tissue of European societies.

The multiple crises, which we are experiencing not only in the EU but globally, made European leaders reconsider some of their former strategies. Particularly the premise of debt containment within the Single Market and the Sta-

Stefanie Wöhl

bility and Growth Pact, which resulted in most member states in austerity policies after the financial and economic crisis, were at least temporarily dismissed. This departure from austerity measures was an urgently needed shift as debt containment essentially considers national competitiveness, and this strategy proved unsuitable to react to the complexity of multiple crises and the pandemic.

Rethinking the EU’s care system

The pandemic has not only provoked a major economic shock, but it also painfully revealed systemic lacunae in the domain of care. Care responsibilities were overburdening private individuals and their families. The hospital sector was also badly hit. The lack of material and hospital beds in the beginning and chronically exhausted and overworked staff are tangible revelations of

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Stefanie Wöhl holds the EUStefanie Wöhl holds the EU Jean Monnet Chair on »Diversity and Social Cohesion in the European Union« and is professor of political science at the University of Applied Sciences bfI Vienna, Austria.

the premise of debt containment which the EU pursued over decades. An EU-wide Resilience Facility was set up to rebuild economies of member states and to mitigate the effects of the pandemic with European funding or loans. The Facility committed itself to provide funding for viable societies and for laying the groundwork for forthcoming generations. It is structured around a range of pillars, encompassing green transition and digital transformation, as well as economic and social cohesion. Whilst the Resilience Facility demonstrates growing awareness of the longterm challenges ahead of us, significant aspects of socially unjust and heavily gender-biased care economies remain hardly acknowledged. More coordinated political and financial efforts must be devised to address the enormous invisible and unpaid amount of care work provided in private households, which has peaked during the pandemic. With an ageing demography and the ongoing strains from the pandemic, the EU urgently needs to rethink how its care system can transition into a viable and just future that does not succumb to austerity measures, and how it can safeguard that this system works beyond national borders and in the interest of citizens.

A global perspective is needed

In our highly connected world, questions concerning the standard of living as well as how to organise democracy and political representation do not stop at national doorsteps nor at the EU’s borders. Therefore, questions considering the future of the EU need to encompass a more global perspective and require inputs from all actors, socially and politically. How can these become more integrated into one another? Neither can energy supply be solved nationally nor can care and commodity chains be tackled in isolation of each other. The care chain is heavily reliant on EU mobility and labour force from outside the EU . »24 hours«-care workers from EU countries bordering to Austria were flown in at the height of the pandemic in 2020 to uphold elderly-caring capacities at the brink of collapse. This example is not a singular event but illustrates that global care and commodity chains pose severe chal-

lenges in times of crisis, as much as they are needed and intertwined. Therefore, we urgently need a EU-wide approach to reorganise the care sector and safeguard the provision of care work under fair employment conditions, just as much as we need to rethink global supply chains and the energy sector.

Action must be taken now

Even though the pandemic has made the importance of care and the pressing issues in this societal domain highly visible, it has so far not been a priority on the EU agenda. The Conference on the Future of Europe has already highlighted, which policies would need to be addressed more coherently, such as social cohesion and digitalisation. For social policies which are not harmonised so far, minimum standards should encourage member states to ameliorate their social systems without downgrading what already works; more binding directives are necessary here. Also, the institutional alignment and unanimity principle have shown that decisions can be blocked within the Council. In view of future EU enlargement and the ongoing deadlocks in crucial domains, this procedure needs readjustment. Another effective instrument would be a more equal involvement of the European Parliament in the procedures of the European Semester. Since the last financial and economic crisis post 2008, this coordinating mechanism surveys national budget recovery strategies. A stronger parliamentary involvement would lead to a more transparent process of how funding is spent and to which sectors it is allocated. Involving the social partners and other civil society organisations in the evaluation is much needed to assure democratic accountability. Rethinking which political influence certain actors have and others do not, is also necessary to assure that not only money and political influence count. Sustaining livelihoods should be a parameter applied to all political and economic decisions, because living conditions might erode sooner than we think due to climate change. These dimensions and challenges need to be reconsidered to the EU’s future viability as a political project.

»Even though the pandemic has made the importance of care and the pressing issues in this societal domain highly visible, it has so far not been a priority on the EU agenda.«

IF WE HAVE THE RIGHT GOALS TODAY, TOGETHER EVERYTHING CAN BE ACHIEVED FOR TOMORROW.

The European Forum Alpbach says thank you!

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Supporting Partners

Dr. Michel Piëch

RPR Privatstiftung

Franz Rauch

PoRR

Goethe University Frankfurt

Accenture

Austrian Lotteries

Dr. Guntard Gutmann

aMcS Privatstiftung

Dr. Éva Kahan Foundation

Gemeinde Alpbach

OeKb - Oesterreichische Kontrollbank

Stiftung Fürstlicher Kommerzienrat Guido Feger

Wolfgang Pospischil

Club Alpbach Steiermark

KaUTE Foundation

Vienna Stock Exchange

Michael Havel

Peter Mitterbauer

Stefan Borgas

Lung Yingtai Cultural Foundation

Ernst Brunbauer

Alois Czipin

Julian M. Hadschieff

Markus Hutschinski

Martin Grüll

Herbert Koch

Georg Kopetz

Johannes Strohmayer

Hannes Winkler

The Boston Consulting Group (Austria)

#believeineurope

The European ideals of democracy, peace and prosperity are inseparable – and nonnegotiable. With Europe’s future under pressure more than ever, there is a need to reflect on and design innovative and sustainable solutions for the continent. The European Forum Alpbach is the platform where visionary minds meet to discuss and develop the ideas for a stronger and better Europe. As Main Partner, we are ready to shape the future of Europe and are proud to support this collaborative exchange.