LeaderSHIP NWM Bratislava 2016 – ‘Lead your crew on Danube’ is the name of a network meeting, organised by the only Slovak-speaking-antenna in April 2016. As the name suggests, the NWM focused on soft-skills related to leadership and their application in practice, either within AEGEE or in professional life.

“AEGEE-Bratislava is a small antenna with modest experience in organising international events,” said the president Miška Kliská. “However, the NWM showed us that with a small team of motivated members & good leadership, everything is possible.”

The NWM organised by AEGEE-Bratislava took place on 21- 24 April 2016 in the Slovak capital on the Danube, towered by the castle and the famous UFO Bridge. Workshops and all daily activities were held in a cafe bar with good facilities for organising small conferences and with a friendly staff. Lunches were solved via a catering company, thus the organisers saved time on logistics. Practically, the participants only left the location in the evening, to go back to the hostel and to get ready for the party. Hostel Possonium, located just five minutes from the train station, also served for the pre-party. Although it is not the main goal of the NWMs, small parties such as city game, navy party or the European Night brought were welcomed contributions.

The focus of the NWM was leadership, which was covered in a separate lecture, when the participants brainstormed ideas about what makes a good leader. Many of them contributed with clever ideas, suitable for further shaping; this is the goal of such events. To put ideas in practice, cooperate with others, but also be exposed to the opposite point of view. All agreed that being a leader also includes a human aspect and communication; not only getting things done.
On Saturday, a panel discussion took place where a group of successful young professionals from different walks of business shared their knowledge and experience. Basically, experiences and skills from AEGEE can be used in professional life; you just have to find the way. For example, communication and language skills are always useful, as well as the HR skills or fundraising for NGOs. Fundraising and planning were covered in workshops on Friday morning, where guys from the NETCOM shared some of the best practices in order to develop their locals.

During sightseeing we discovered the funny statues in the city centre and the stories beneath the biggest historical buildings and the UFO bridge – the monument of communist architecture. European Night started late but it was worth waiting for. Some of the participants come to Bratislava regularly and I hope that after this event they will be joined by others who enjoyed the academic and also AEGEE spirit in Bratislava.

Written by Erik Redli, AEGEE-Bratislava

Splintered politics and the surge of far-right parties in the Slovak Parliament prove that the people of Slovakia have lost trust in traditional politics and seek whatever change from the former status quo. Right-wing parties made modest gains in the election and, while the centrist-right parties fared far better, some far-right parties also gained a significant amount of seats in the Slovak Parliament.

During the first weekend of March, Slovakia held Parliamentary elections. Expectations were high, because polls showed that the ruling populist left-wing Smer-SD party might lose their majority in Parliament and have to form a coalition. The incumbent Smer-SD administration has been characterised by its criticism, mainly by the liberal press, and several scandals, like overpriced purchases of hospital equipment, or opposition to the migrant quotas for Slovakia. A possible cacophony of a multiparty coalition might also be bad news; as Socrates sharply noticed, “a democracy does not work if there is more than one party to make decisions”.

After the election results came in, the incumbent Smer-SD party turned out to remain the largest party, but obtained only 28 percent of votes, which is not enough for a majority in the 150 member Parliament. Immediately after negotiations started between the Smer-SD,  the liberal Freedom and Solidarity party (SaS), the rather conservative Oľano-Nova, the far-right Slovak National Party (SNS), and young liberal #Sieť party. There are a couple more parties that might be persuaded to form a majority coalition with the Smer-SD party, and will thus be able to push their own political agenda. This resulted in a resurgence of accusations of treason by disappointing voters, who sought and alternative to the Smer-SD party and its policy.

Marian Kotleba

Moreover, the whole of Europe was shocked by the fact that extreme right-wing parties got into the Slovak Parliament. The People´s Party Our Slovakia (ĽSNS), lead by Marián Kotleba, and known for its extremist opinions and close affiliations with far-right ideas, won 14 seats. Although the number of seats cannot be considered an electoral success, their performance cannot be neglected: in the previous four years they held not a single seat in Parliament. Reactions to this were almost unanimous in both domestic and foreign media: “[forming a coalition] will be complicated” and “fascists won seats in the Slovak Parliament”. The Guardian published an article that sounded more like a warning, reminding of the negative experience of the Holocaust. Slovak political commentators also wrote that Slovakia and Europe should not forget the negative experience of the WWII era. In short, Slovakia is a deeply divided country that just saw far-right parties enter Parliament. Especially now, as Slovakia is preparing to take over the EU presidency in June, people wonder: how can we lead Europe if we cannot choose our own ruler?

Fed up with traditional politics

If we look at the latest trends, the recent unprecedented rise of far-right movements was not such a surprise. Over the last twenty years, people have learned that traditional politicians would never keep all their promises, writes Dani Rodrik, professor of economy at Harvard. It opens a space for demagogues, who promise easy solutions or changes. Indeed, a couple of years ago Kotleba was elected as the governor of the Banská Bystrica region in central Slovakia, because he was the only alternative to a candidate of the ruling Smer-SD party.

In the early 2000s, the government in Slovakia managed to implement some important economical reforms which allowed Slovakia to enter NATO and the EU. However, some kind of bias against new ideas and active learning, supported by the low status of teachers and nurses, whose protests were part of the recent anti-refugee campaign, still cripples the development of Slovakia as a modern European nation. The people of Slovakia do not seemingly have a critical opinion and often follow the politician who speaks the loudest.

Members of the People’s Party Our Slovakia

Each country has demagogues: in France they have Marine Le Pen, in the UK Nigel Farage, and in Slovakia, although I cannot make direct comparison, Marián Kotleba. He emerged ten years ago as a mere radical in central Slovakia and his public performances usually resulted in arrests and his organisations being banned. He has learned a lot since then, wrote the Guardian, and, although his ideas are still radical, he puts them forward in a more sophisticated way, which made him gain more supporters from various backgrounds. Regardless of one’s opinion about Kotleba or his political ideology, it cannot be denied that these are, for some, a refreshing break from traditional Slovak politics.

Promise what the people want 

Kotleba, and other far-right politicians, address issues people are concerned about, but do so with policies that would violate human rights. Kotleba, for example has spoken favourably about the eradication of immigrants or the Roma minority. The L’SNS’s rhetoric, furthermore, creates an image of itself that seems to adhere to the values of the Slovak Republic (1939-1945), a puppet state of Nazi Germany.

Radicalism currently seems to go unnoticed, or possibly institutionalised now that far-right parties have entered the parliament in Slovakia. Everyone has the right to be elected, but human rights are to be respected. It is an interesting time in Slovakia, since popular stances have been pitted against moral principles – Kotleba and his party being just a clear example of this that was used in this article. Regardless of which, the people of Slovakia seem to be losing their confidence in traditional politics.

Slovak Parliament in Bratislava

Slovakia is politically splintered and facing a big challenge. There are efforts by liberal parties to form a coalition that wants to continue economic policies, similar to those that allowed Slovakia to enter NATO and the EU. Nevertheless, they might have to co-operate with politicians, whose mandate is the result of cleverly built campaigns and populism. Moreover, Slovakia should be aware of the emergence radicalism.

Written by Erik Redli, AEGEE-Bratislava

AEGEE has been one of the first Pan-European associations that supported Youth Mobility in order to empower students and young people in Europe to take an active role in society. ”After the attacks in Paris, Europe increased the level of controls, mostly on the borders,” says Afredo Sellitti, Policy Officer on Youth Mobility, which might cause some problems with travelling. However, work and residence permits were not affected”.

One of the main characteristics of AEGEE people is that they travel a lot; sometimes they just hit the road without planning. Now they will have to plan their trips better as the additional vigilance of the European governments might hide unexpected obstacles.

Walking the streets of Paris in the evening, you could feel the atmosphere of harmony and love, well described in the works of Hemingway or captured in romantic Hollywood movies. Now, some people might even have problems with travelling to Paris and if they arrive, they will be disappointed by the ‘Geist’ of terrorism.

According to Alfredo, the additional border controls should not have significant impact on AEGEE and its projects unless the Schengen Area gets suspended, which will bring back the passport and visa procedures. ”However, this is a remote scenario and highly unlikely to happen,” says Alfredo.

Most of the countries adopted tighter security measures and Slovakia was no exception. According to Prime Minister Robert Fico, who is known in Europe for refusing migration quota, uncontrolled migration is an unprecedented risk for the country. Indeed, in most cases, they are just pro-form that disturbs the daily routine of foreigners living in Slovakia.  A young man from Iran interviewed by a newspaper said he was checked three times a day. People coming from Ukraine reported long visa procedures with plenty of paper work.

“The security of Slovakia’s citizens must be a top priority before any other rights”, said the prime minister. However, usually when some rights are given to one group of people, the rights of another people might be in danger. Many people would like to use the freedom to travel in order to gain new experience and skills. However, sometimes they find out at the station that trains are not in service due to security threats, which happened a few months ago in Budapest.

Do not say the word ‘bomb’ at the airport

Some measures can put people into stressful situations. Press release from Bratislava airport advised the passengers not to say words like “bomb” aloud around the terminal building as it might raise suspicion, even emergency. Lucia from AEGEE-Bratislava was flying from Bratislava to Brussels on the 15th of November and almost missed her flight because the traditional fast-track security check was replaced by tight control.  Also, trains from Germany to Belgium and France had several hours of delays, she confirmed, which caused delays in her work schedule.

The security was tightened after the attacks in Paris on Friday, 13th of November that killed 130 people. “Residents in Paris were shocked, but after about three days, everything got back to normal”, says Daria from AEGEE-Kyïv, who left Paris shortly before the attacks.  Her friends had a trip to Paris planned one week after the attacks and they went regardless of the warnings.  It proves that AEGEEans are more daring and tolerant than ordinary people. Lucia said that there is no point in worrying: “Either the security forces will act in time or we should at least hope that it won’t hit me or my relatives”.

Maybe it is a little bit careless approach, but the fact is that the only terrorist convicted in Slovakia was a man who exploded a bomb in front of a McDonalds in Košice, eastern Slovakia, a few years ago. On the other hand, we should look further than our fence. In other countries, the situation is a little bit different. Places like Paris and Brussels are more ‘in the limelight’. Therefore, we all should contribute to the collective security.

Catharsis of Europe

The  situation in Europe is different from ten years ago. It is becoming a continent of ideologies and people who seek opportunities to encourage the public in order to reach their goals. It is the issue of terrorist propaganda spreading over the internet that brings danger, not migration.

According to French Ministry of Immigration (2010), the five countries, UK, France, Italy, Spain and Germany cater for 80% of migration flow to Europe and recently Germany welcomed the millionth migrant this year. The main reasons behind migration are economic, family reunion and study. This trend is expected to continue, which can have negative impact on Europe’s economy and culture. Therefore, some governments agreed on cuts.

”According to the recent happenings, people of Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Egypt might face the biggest problems with travelling to Europe as these countries lie close to the southern European borders,” said Alfredo.

Under the new rules that were adopted in response to the attacks in Paris, courts will be able to order detention of a terrorist suspect and prolong the detention period. However, the terrorist tactics do not focus on attacking individuals but spreading fear and the feeling of hopelessness in the whole society. Therefore, the situation calls for redefinition of security in Europe, which might affect our comfort, especially with travelling and work permits.

A group of international students in Bratislava said that they did not experience any difficulties when getting to Slovakia. However, prior to arrival, they had to go through visa application process, and the security check at the airport was a bit longer.  Little delay is a cheap price if we look at what is at stake. Nevertheless, we should respect the rules and hope that the disturbing responsibility of customs procedures and identity checks will come to an end.

Written by Erik Redli, AEGEE-Bratislava

The Spring Agora 2016 will take place in Bergamo from the 18th till the 22nd of May. We approached the organisers, asking them to reveal us some of the details regarding the event that promises accommodation close to the airport and ideas for changes.

More than just an airport
Many AEGEEans have already experienced Bergamo airport between their connecting flights around Europe, without visiting the city itself. Now, they have an opportunity to change this. The accommodation for Spring Agora 2016 is located just 3 km away from the departure hall, which makes it easily accessible. Participants will sleep at the Exhibition Center with over 7,000 sq meters to share. Plenaries will be held just 50m away from the place, so that the participants will not have to wake up really early in the morning.

The city on the foothills of the Alps has a lot to offer, and this aspect was also put forward by The Daily Telegraph. The upper city, Città alta in Italian, offers history, traditional food in stone-made restaurants and Italian coffee for one euro. The lower city is quite student-friendly, with several bars and ice cream stalls; however, if you want to go for a party, you must travel a little bit further to the outskirts.

Fly forward for Europe
Agora Bergamo was born six years ago. “We were just five naive AEGEEans in Bergamo and we had just refunded our antenna“, explains Mauro Cattaneo, one of the coordinators of Spring Agora Bergamo 2016. The whole idea materialised in October 2014, when they submitted the candidature. They also launched campaigns related to the Agora and AEGEE-Bergamo on their webpage, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

“The title of the Agora is ‘Fly Forward’ and it stands for the belief that everyone has to look towards the future, to break new grounds and foresee the changes“, says Mauro. It is a message for the continent that needs to Fly Forward.

The recent happenings in Paris and the upcoming Climate Change Summit remind us that something has to be changed. AEGEEans are young people with new ideas and the Agora is an ideal place to put some of them in practice. Over time, they might grow into European policies – what if there is a new president of EU Council amongst the 1,300 participants.

Regarding the social programme, Mauro mentioned shuttle buses that will transport the participants to parties; the parties cannot be held in the city center because of the magistrate rules.

Some of the organisers took inspiration from the recent Autumn Agora in Kyiv, where some of the coordinators were helping. “I’ve learnt what is it like to work in a big international team, solving problems together. I liked the approach of the meetings we had everyday, always constructive and with a positive perspective towards a common goal”, says Andrea Visinoni. “Being prepared is an essential thing in managing activities in the context of such a big event like the Agora”, adds Roberto “Bobby” Cornetti. The biggest reward should be the smiling participants, which means that the event met their expectations. It is the biggest “souvenir” to put into luggage when coming back home from Bergamo airport.

Agora Bergamo will take place from the 18th till the 22nd of May 2016. Save the date, check the official Agora website for the latest updates weekly, and start giving a look to your flight to BGY airport!

Written by Erik Redli, AEGEE-Bratislava