Konstantinos Saravakos, one of KEFiM’s researchers, was at Europaforum which was organized by the Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung für die Freiheit and held in Brussels from July 9th to July 12th.

This initiative aims to bring young people from all over Europe to get familiar with the institutional processes of the European institutions and to discuss with officials about the course of European integration.

During these meetings, Konstantinos Saravakos participated in special groups where he met, among others, Guy Verhofstadt’s representative, Bram Delen, the head of the European Commission’s Trade Department, Prof. Frank Hoffmeister, Gesine Meissner, member of the European Parliament, Philipp Hansen, head of the ALDE political group and Sir Graham Watson, former member of the European Parliament and former ALDE president.

At the heart of the debates were issues relating to both Euroscepticism and populism, and the cultural diversification of the peoples of Europe. These debates aimed for better functioning institutions in a more free and prosperous Europe.

The main point of concern was the gap that the EU citizens felt between them and the decision-making process, but also the ever-increasing tendency to challenge the citizens’ acquired rights. Moreover, specific strategies have been put forward and solutions have been proposed that promote freedom within the EU, while maintaining the spirit of cooperation and respect for sovereign rights in order to meet the challenges of our time.