European Union " "

Music for unity” “

Two days of debate on European integration ” “in the city of Mozart ” “” “

“The aim of the conference is to stimulate a wide-ranging debate on Europe and contribute to a change of paradigms to promote a new awareness of the idea of community and, perhaps, to bring a wind of optimism to our societies”, declared the Austrian Presidency of the European Council in presenting “Sound of Europe”, two days of discussions on the future of European integration, due to be held in Salzburg on Friday 27 and Saturday 28 January. The venue was not chosen by accident: 27 January is in fact the 250th anniversary of the birth in the city of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the famous composer who visited almost all the countries of the continent during his life and is regarded as one of the symbolic figures of European culture. VALUES AND IDENTITY OF THE UNION. The Austrian Chancellor WOLFGANG SCHÜSSEL, who has assumed the post of President of the European Council during the first half of 2006, sponsored this meeting, in which 300 leading exponents of European policy, culture and art and leading academics from European universities will take part. “Sound of Europe” is being held under the auspices of the Austrian Presidency of the European Council, the European Commission and the Economic and Social Committee of the 25. The meeting will represent “an occasion to tackle fundamental questions on the future of the EU, such as European values, identity and culture”. An initiative of this kind had already been promoted by the then Dutch Presidency of the Council in 2004, under the title “Europe. A beautiful idea?”. This new meeting is a follow-up to that, “developing – explain its organizers in Vienna – the wide-ranging debate recommended by the Council of heads of state and of government in June 2005”, following the French and Dutch “no” to the Constitutional Treaty. It should also be recalled that the European Parliament approved a resolution in Strasbourg last week, aimed at reviving the process of ratification of the Constitutional Treaty. As a first step it called for multiple parliamentary and citizens’ forums to discuss the text of the Constitution, propose any amendments to be made to it, and establish a calendar with the aim of “reaching its entry into force by 2009”. SPEAKERS FROM THROUGHOUT THE CONTINENT. Scores of personalities have been involved in the Salzburg meeting as speakers: guests will include the President of Latvia, Vaira Vike-Freiberga, French premier Dominique de Villepin, Dutch premier Jan Peter Balkenende, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and the Mayor of Athens Dora Bakoyannis. EU leaders present will include the President of the European Parliament Josep Borrell and the President of the Commission José Manuel Durao Barroso together with various other members of the Executive. The hosts will include, apart from Schüssel, Austrian Federal President Heinz Fischer and Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik. Many intellectuals have been invited to make their contribution: Leon de Winter, Gilles Kepel, Dominique Moisi, Slavenka Drakulic, Mario Monti, Bronislaw Geremek, Mark Leonard, Jürgen Flimm… The discussions, preceded by a series of events on Thursday 26 January (book presentations, debates, informal meetings among the participants), will be divided between three main panels and culminate in a final round table with political leaders, under the title “Europe: our hopes, our objectives”. But the talks will also be complemented by other events of a cultural and artistic character, events dedicated to the young and a concert of the Wiener Philharmoniker conducted by Riccardo Muti, to mark the anniversary of Mozart’s birth. POLITICS, SOCIAL ISSUES AND ART. The first panel is called “The European crisis. Melody in a minor key?”. Dominique de Villepin has been given the task of introducing the reflection, focused on “the European situation today, felt as a crisis, especially after the referenda that rejected the Constitution”. The panel has “a political focus, but should equally consider the economic and social aspects”. Each introductory report will be followed by a debate among the participants. The second panel will be introduced by Javier Solana, EU foreign policy chief, with a speech on: “What now? A new melody?”. “In this case – explain the promoters – the aim is to develop new suggestions to help promote the European social model and peace”, so as to “guarantee respect for the essential values of the citizens of the Union”. The third panel will focus, in turn, on more specifically cultural issues. In fact the first speaker will be the orchestral conductor Franz Welser-Möst (title of his address: “Muses and sirens”). “It’s a moment dedicated to art, in its various expressions”, beginning with music in tribute to Mozart, to understand how “it may respond to the question of European identity and unity”. The discussions of “Sound of Europe” can be followed by logging onto the official website of the Austrian Presidency www.eu2006.at.