Once a year the European Left and transform! europe organize the Summer University that gathers activists, members of parties and social movements for a multi-day debate on current political and social issues.
Each Summer University deals with specific topics and promotes the exchange of information and experiences in the various European countries. During workshops and seminars the participants discuss policies and initiatives for the construction of an alternative Europe.
This year’s Summer University will take place in Vienna from 11 to 15 July, 2018 under the following motto and three main topics:
A Dialogue for Progress in Europe
200 years Karl Marx / 100 Years End of WWI
- Europe’s Role in a Globalized World
- Social Justice: A European Concept of Economic, Ecological and Social Convergence
- Appropriation, Participation and Democracy
Come join us in Europahaus Wien, with a beautiful park on the outskirts of Vienna full of free spaces for outdoor discussions and social meetings. The whole area will be available for the participants of the Summer University!
How to get there:
The venue of the Summer University 2018 is:
Europahaus
Linzer Straße 429
1130 Vienna
If you arrive at Vienna International Airport you can come to the venue by taking the S7 to “Wien Mitte“, then take the metro line 4 to Hütteldorf and then either walk or take the bus line 49a or 50a from Hütteldorf to Wolfsberggasse.
Languages (translation at panels and in some seminars): German, English, French
Programme
Update: 11 July 2018
Wednesday, 11 July
18.00-20.00 Opening
Welcome speeches
- Mirko Messner (Chairman of the Communist Party Austria)
- Maite Mola (Vice President of the EL)
Inauguration:
“In memory of Elisabeth Gauthier: Austrian French Woman and Citizen of the World”: Presentation of a text with comments by Chantal Delmas (PCF) and Barbara Steiner (transform! europe)
Concert: Aron Quartet
Open space for workshop ideas and first meeting for organizing “youth track”.
This year’s Summer University will introduce a new element: A special program for young European leftists! This special feature will be organised by the young people themselves. The idea is to acknowledge the specific interests and approaches of young people to the daily focus and offer them the appropriate space for self-organised workshops and share with all others the plenaries, seminars and evening events.
20.00 Dinner
Thursday, 12 July
“Europe’s Role in A Globalized World”
10.00-11.45 Plenary 1: Marxism-Feminism Today
- Gregor Gysi (EL President)
- Gabriele Michalitsch (University of Vienna)
- Moderation: Barbara Steiner (transform! europe)
12.00-14.00 Seminars:
a) Europe and the Mediterranean Basin
- Natasa Theodorakopoulou (SYRIZA, Greece)
- Elias Demetriou (International Relations Bureau AKEL)
- Ghassan Saliba Zeghondi (Communist Party of Lebanon)
- Moderation: Roberto Morea (transform! Italia, transform! europe)
b) Resisting NATO Expansion and Aggression:
- Ina Shupac (Party of Communists of Moldova)
- Volodymyr Ishchenko (Kiev Polytechnic Institute, Ukraine)
- Erhard Chrome (RLF Berlin)
- Moderation: Natascha Wanek (KPÖ)
c) Resisting the New Round of Arms Race and Cold War in Europe
- Claudia Haydt (Die Linke)
- Maite Mola (Vice-President of the EL)
- Antero Eerola (Left Alliance) (tbc)
- Moderation: Attila Vajnai (Workers’ Party of Hungary 2006)
d) The Times Are A-Changin’: 68/69 in USA, France, Germany, Italy, Scandinavia and UK
- Introduction by Gérard Streiff, (PCF, historian and editor of Cause Commune)
- Short interventions: Inger V. Johansen (RGA, Denmark), Tatiana Moutinho (cul:tra, transform! europe, Portugal), Franco Russo (Italy), Makis Kavouriaris (Greece)
- Moderation: Pablo Livigni (transform! europe)
e) Workshop: Youth Focus: What Can Marxism Tell Us about Globalisation?
- Max Shanly (Labour Party, Momentum, UK)
14.00-16.00 Lunch Break
16.00-18.00 Plenary 2: Elements of an Alternative Concept vis-à-vis the Militarisation of the European Union
- Dagmar Enkelmann (President of RLF)
- Maite Mola (EL Vice President)
- Moderation: Josiane Durrieu (PCF France)
20.00 Evening Event and Dinner: Music and Solidarity with the Left Forces in Latin America
Friday, 13 July
“Social Justice: A European Concept of Economic, Ecological and Social Convergence”
10.00-11.46 Plenary 3: Towards a European Plan for Economic, Social and Ecological Recovery
- Rosalía Martín Escobar (Member of the permanent of the Federal Working Group on Women of IU)
- Pascal Cherki (Génération-s, France)
- Giorgos Katrougalos (SYRIZA Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs)
- Luka Mesec (The Left, Slovenia)
- Moderation: Paolo Ferrero (EL Vice President)
12.00-14.00 Seminars
a) Different Scenarios of the Future of the Monetary Union
- Kenneth Haar (CEO)
- Marika Frangakis (SYRIZA)
- Steffen Lehndorff (University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany)
- Moderation: Roland Kulke (transform! europe)
b) A Radical Agenda for Social and Gender Appropriate Energy Transition
- Manuela Kropp (assistant MEP, Die Linke)
- Gitte Pedersen (RGA, Denmark)
- Pablo Torija (Podemos, Spain)
- Moderation: Jean-Claude Simon (transform! europe)
c) Media frames and Europe: Where does the Left stand?
- Marina Prentoulis, Another Europe is Possible, Senior Lecturer, University of East Anglia
- Javier Moreno, Fundación por la Europa de los Ciudadanos, Dr. Charles III University of Madrid
- Luke Cooper, Another Europe is Possible, Lecturer, Anglia Ruskin University
- Moderation: Angelina Giannopoulou, transform!
→ Τhe concept is: to discuss the ways through which the Left is used to speak/present itself on the Media regarding the question of Europe + how do we want the Left to speak on the Media on the question of Europe. So an analytical aspect + a politico-strategical one.
What kind of frames do we use (are they good enough?), what more frames could we use and how we can challenge the frames posed by neoliberalism (in a way that creates the so called “common sense”…).
→ We can tackle the ways through which the question of Europe is discussed in Greece, Spain, the UK, especially where does the Left stand.
d) Workshop: Youth Focus: The Rise of the Far-Right in Europe: How we experience it
14.00-16.00 Lunch Break
16.00-18.00 Seminars/Workshops
a) Europe, China and the New Silk Road
- Josef Baum (transform.at, Austria, transform! europe)
- Giorgos Katrougalos (SYRIZA Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs)
- Moderation: tba
b) “The Simple that Is Hard to Achieve”: 68/69 in CSSR, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Poland
- Gáspár Miklós Tamás (Philosopher, former member of the Academy of Science, Hungary)
- Jiří Hudeček (SDS, Czechia)
- Filip Balunovic (Political Scientist, Serbia)
- Moderation: Dagmar Svendova (transform! europe)
15.00-18.00 Different City tours offered
19.00 Experimentaltheater ‘Fleischerei’: Brechts Flüchtlingsgespräche / Refugee conversations of Brecht (at Brick 5, Fünfhausgasse 5, 1150 Wien)
19.20 Dinner
20.30 Cultural program: Viennese songs
Saturday, 14 July
“Appropriation, Participation and Democracy”
10.00-11.45 Plenary 4: Can we re-appropriate Europe as a Common? – How to re-appropriate Europe as one Dimension of Initiatives to Reclaim Social Justice, Ecological Sustainability and Democracy?
- Renato Soeiro (Left Bloc, Portugal)
- Italian speaker (tba)
- Walter Baier (transform! europe)
- Iniciativa per Catalunya Verds (TBC)
- Moderation: tba
12.00-14.00 Seminars
a) Right-wing Populism and the Far Right in Europe
- Antoine de Cabanes (transform! europe, Espace Marx, France)
- Gabriele Michalitsch (University of Vienna)
- Joanna Gwiazdecka (RLF Prague, Poland)
- Joseph Healy (Left Unity, UK)
- Moderation: Roberto Musacchio (L’Altra Europa con Tsipras, Italy)
b) A Dialog among the Left About Strategies, Democracy and Possible Allies
- Conny Hildebrandt (RLF Berlin, transform!europe)
- Waltraud Fritz (KPÖ, Austria)
- Makis Kavouriaris (Greece)
- Iniciativa per Catalunya Verds (TBC)
- Moderation: Angelina Giannopoulou (transform!europe, NPI)
14.00-16.00 Lunch Break
16.00-18.00 Seminars/Workshops
a) “Under the Pavement Lies the Beach” – ‘68/69: The Awakening of a New Feminism in the Aftermath of 68
- Heidi Ambrosch (transform! europe)
- Alba Gutiérrez (Ezker Anitza, Spain)
- Rosa Rinaldi (Rifondazione, Italy)
- Moderation: Gitte Pedersen (RGA, Denmark)
b) Transformation Processes and Authoritarian Neoliberalism in Eastern Europe”
- Veronika Sušová-Salminen (Finland / Czechia)
- Attila Vajnai (Workers’ Party of Hungary 2006)
- Moderation: Andreas Günther (RLF New York)
c) Workshop: Youth Focus: Authoritarian Turn in Europe: Where is Democracy Heading?
18.30 Closing Event
Sunday, 15 July
Departure day