Europe calling

Financial crisis, economic crisis, refugee crisis –these are among the drivers that are polarizing the political debate in Europe. A lack of trust prevails about the ability of the European Union and its member-states to find joint solutions for these challenges. What kind of progressive European policies are fit to counter the pessimism and legitimate worries caused by these crisis?

Europe Calling is a series of public debates where advocates of different provenance develop and exchange ideas for a social, fair and free Europe. Held in 2016 across five cities in Europe, the public debates are part of Politics for Europe #2017plus – a flagship project of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung that explores paths and possibilities to build a common social politics for Europe.

In Croatia, a country along the Balkan migrant route, participants at the Europe Calling debate in Zagreb discussed a European solution for refugees and migration. What happened in the critical days of the Balkan migrant route and how can that inform what next steps can be taken?

Watch the recording of the live debate.

Driven by their own experience with flight and expulsion, Croatians acted in solidarity with people on the move along the Balkan route:

“European countries must acknowledge that the solution is a common migration policy” -- Nenad Zakosek, professor of political science at the University of Zagreb

“Our history is a history of migration and we tend to forget that. […] Europe is not just an economic project and people are not just numbers” -- Daniel Mondekar, Vice-president, Think-Tank EUStar

“Nobody abandons a home if they are doing well.” -- Dara Mayer, survivor from Vukovar

Westhafen, an abandoned warehouse in Berlin of the years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, housed the closing event of Europe Calling in June 2016. A summary of the debates published on this occasion captures cross-cutting aspects between finance, economy and migration and highlights the need to build a stronger cohesion between people as a prerequisite for a social Europe.

"I'm not here to tell you, everything is fine in the European Union. The challenges are huge," stated Laura Slimani, President of the Young European Socialist. "But I am here today to say 'Another Europe should be possible!'"