Europe Day 2024: The success story of enlargement – connecting past and future

In May 2024, we will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the fifth and the largest enlargement of the European Union in its history. At the same time, 2024 marks 30 years since Austria's historic European membership referendum. These milestones in European integration pose a good opportunity to take stock and look at the past, present as well as into the future. Join us together with prominent keynote speakers and panelists in a discussion highlighting the impact of the enlargement on individual countries, benefits for the European integration as a whole, lessons learnt and prospects for the next enlargement round, a Union with potentially 30+ Member States.

Organized on the initiative of the Embassies of the Republic of Slovenia and the Czech Republic together with the European Commission Representation in Austria and the Embassies of Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland and Slovakia, as well as endorsed by the Belgian presidency of the Council of the EU.

Introduction: Wolfgang Bogensberger, Acting Head of the Representation of the European Commission in Austria

Keynote: Karoline Edtstadler, Federal Minister for the EU and Constitution of Austria

Music: Fantasy on Beethoven’s 9th Symphony by Vienna CT Arts Ensemble featuring Christiana Thalassinou (Cyprus)

Panel discussion:       
Cristina Gherasimov, Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration of Moldova
Mojmir Mrak, former Chief Advisor of the Slovenian Government on financial aspects of the accession of Slovenia to the EU; Professor at the School of Economics and Business, University of Ljubljana; regular visiting professor at the Vienna University of Economics and Business   
Kathrin Stainer-Hämmerle, Political Scientist and Professor at the Carinthia University of Applied Sciences
Pavel Telička, former EU Commissioner, Vice-President of the European Parliament and Chief Negotiator for the accession of the Czech Republic to the EU    
Predrag Zenović, Chief Negotiator of Montenegro with the European Union

Moderation: Siobhán Geets, Profil

Music: Hymn Medley – Connecting the countries arranged by Christiana Thalassinou (Cyprus)

Registrations will be processed on a first come, first served basis via: COMM-REP-VIE-VERANSTALTUNGec [dot] europa [dot] eu (COMM-REP-VIE-VERANSTALTUNG[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu)

Doors open at 10:30. The event will be livestreamed on Youtube.