The second day of the EZA kick-off seminar began with an innovation that arose directly from last year's feedback: a networking session that gave all participants the opportunity to introduce themselves personally, share their current focus topics and find specific exchange partners. Although the European Centre for Workers' Questions (EZA) has been in existence for 40 years, there are always many new faces here who want to network with each other. The open and dynamic start created a pleasant atmosphere and laid the foundation for further discussions on the content.
The focus then returned to the central theme of the conference: ‘Competitiveness with a social dimension’. The first substantive session of the day was a panel discussion in fishbowl format, which actively involved the audience. Alessio Terzi, lecturer at Cambridge and Sciences Po and former economist at the European Commission, Marija Bartl, professor of law at the University of Amsterdam, and Dietmar Elsler from the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work jointly examined the principles and assumptions underlying the ‘compass’ of a competitive European Union. They discussed who sets the priorities for this compass and how these could affect the European social model. One striking conclusion was that reviving confidence in the possibility of a bright future is an important step in counteracting extremist tendencies – hope is the best antidote to political resentment.
After lunch, moderator Jochen Mettlen led the second round of discussions. Reinhilde Veugelers, Professor of Strategy and Innovation at KU Leuven, Clark Parsons, CEO of the European Startup Network, and Margo Molkenboer, policy advisor at CNV and member of the European Economic and Social Committee, came together. Their discussion focused on how Europe can close its innovation gap and whether inclusive growth promotes innovation. It became clear that employees need to be empowered to adapt flexibly and quickly to the dynamic changes in the modern world of work.
The international diversity of EZA was particularly evident in the third debate of the day. The panel included Kevin W. Flanagan from St Antony's Centre for Church & Industry in the United Kingdom, a former EU member state; Enrique Saludas from the Spanish trade union USO Industria, a current EU member state; and Srđa Keković, General Secretary of the Union of Free Trade Unions in Montenegro, an EU candidate country. Together, they addressed the question of how the future of Europe can be reshaped. The room was filled with an impressive sentence that was displayed during the discussion: ‘Work is for man, not man for work.’ From the encyclical Laborem exercens.
The conference was concluded by EZA Co-President Pier Giorgio Sciacqua, who summarised the most important findings of the two-day seminar. A comprehensive report on all the content and discussions will be published in the next issue of EZA Magazine.