Die Europäische Demokratische Partei hielt am 13. Oktober 2023 einen aufschlussreichen Kongress in der historischen Stadt Mainz, Deutschland, ab. Delegationen aus Deutschland, Italien, Frankreich, Spanien, Österreich, Polen, der Tschechischen Republik und Bulgarien waren vertreten. Diese Veranstaltung diente als Nährboden für grundlegende Debatten und innovative Vorschläge, die sich mit den drängenden Fragen unserer Zeit befassen.
Mainz mit seiner berühmten MEWA-Arena bot die perfekte Kulisse für dieses große Ereignis. Dieser Ort passte perfekt zu den Worten von Matteo Renzi, dem Präsidenten von Italia Viva: "Entweder übvernimmt Europa eine aktive Rolle oder verschwindet und wird zum passiven Zuschauer: Anstatt auf dem Spielfeld des Stadions aktiv mitzuwirken, wird Europa wahrscheinlich auf die Fußballtribüne gehen, um das Spiel zwischen China und den Vereinigten Staaten aus sicherer Entfernung zu beobachten."
Im Mittelpunkt des Kongresses stand die statutarische Sitzung.
In dieser Sitzung ging es um wichtige interne Angelegenheiten wie Mitgliederangelegenheiten, Finanzfragen, die Ernennung eines neuen Präsidiums, bestehend aus Francois Bayrou (Präsident), Sandro Gozi (Generalsekretär) und Gérard Deprez (Generaldelegierter), während Antoni Ortuzar und Ulrike Müller als die beiden Exekutiv-Vizepräsidenten wiedergewählt wurden. Nicola Danti, Karl Erjavec, Marios Georgiadis, Marian Harkin und Gerrit-Jan van Otterloo wurden als Vizepräsidenten gewählt. Zum Schluss wurde das Manifest von den Delegierten besprochen und genehmigt.
Die Delegierten warfen Fragen auf und verbesserten den endgültigen Entwurf des Manifests durch diverse Kommentare und Erfahrungen.
Anschließend an die statutarische Sitzung war das Hauptereignis die Debatte der Staats- und Regierungschefs, bei der Francois Bayrou, Sandro Gozi, Ulrike Müller und der ehemalige italienische Ministerpräsident Matteo Renzi auf der Bühne ihre Visionen für die Zukunft Europas darlegten. Es war eine fesselnde Diskussion mit unterschiedlichen Themen, die jedoch durch das gemeinsame Engagement für eine stärker integrierte, wohlhabende und nachhaltige europäische Gemeinschaft geeint wurde. Diese Plattform ermöglichte es den Führungskräften, neue Perspektiven, Herausforderungen und potenzielle Lösungen zu erarbeiten, die maßgeblich den Kurs der europäischen Entwicklung beeinflussen könnten.
Im Einklang mit der Mission der EDP, kritische aktuelle Themen anzusprechen, bot der Kongress ebenso aufschlussreiche Diskussionen beim Gipfel der Bürgermeister, der von Sandro Gozi und François Decoster, Präsident von Renew Europe im Ausschuss der Regionen, geleitet wurde.
Bürgermeister aus verschiedenen Städten berichteten über ihre einzigartigen Erfahrungen, Erfolge und Zukunftspläne. Ihre Einblicke in die lokale Führung erwiesen sich als unschätzbar wertvoll und erinnerten an den Geist der Widerstandsfähigkeit, der in Europas lokalen Gemeinschaften steckt.
Den Abschluss des Kongresses bildeten zwei Fachpanels zu den Themen Migration und künstliche Intelligenz. Joachim Streit, Giulia Pigoni und Matteo Flora waren unsere Experten für diese Themen und versorgten das Publikum mit Daten und aussagekräftigen Erkenntnissen, die auch durch eine intensive Fragerunde angeregt wurden.
Das Forum zum Thema Migration zielte darauf ab, eine humanere und wirksamere Migrationspolitik zu fördern und dabei die sich verändernde globale Dynamik zu berücksichtigen. Bei der Debatte über künstliche Intelligenz ging es darum, das Gleichgewicht zwischen technologischem Fortschritt und ethischen Erwägungen herzustellen, wie unser Generalsekretär in seiner Rede betonte: "KI ist ein Werkzeug für die Menschheit und sollte nicht verboten werden. Vielmehr sollte sie durch gemeinsame Anstrengungen reguliert werden".
Zusammenfassend lässt sich sagen, dass der EDP-Kongress in Mainz mehr als nur eine Versammlung war. Er war ein durchschlagendes Bekenntnis zu den demokratischen Prinzipien, den gemeinsamen Werten und der kühnen Vision, die die verschiedenen Nationen Europas zusammenschweißt, zu einer Gemeinschaft. Diese Versammlung war ein weiterer wichtiger Meilenstein auf dem Weg in eine Zukunft, die gut gerüstet ist für jegliche Herausforderungen und Chancen des 21 Jahrhunderts.
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The EDP in Belgrade for a European Serbia: legality, free media, fair elections
Mission of PDE Secretary General Sandro Gozi to Belgrade (18–19 September 2025): public debate with hundreds of young people, meetings with opposition parties and civil society, focus on the rule of law, political repression and delays in EU integrationGozi stresses that it is not citizens who endanger Serbia’s European path, but President Vučić and his government. By resorting to repression, false narratives and attacks on fundamental freedoms, they are undermining the credibility and the European future of the country.
Offener Brief
To the President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić
with a copy to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen
President Vučić,
Your letter of 21 August addressed to President von der Leyen is a masterpiece of hypocrisy. But facts, numbers and images tell another story.
In recent months, hundreds of people have been arrested in Serbia, including students and peaceful citizens. Many of them remain in prison today, facing charges that are essentially political. In practice, this undermines their freedom of expression and discourages democratic participation. It is not the citizens who are destabilising the country: it is your government, repressing the right to protest.
In March, during a commemoration in Novi Sad, a sonic cannon (LRAD) was used against demonstrators, A weapon, capable of provoking harsh pain, panic and permanent hearing damage. A practice that has nothing to do with the european standards you claim to embrace.
On 15 August, a video showed fifteen young people forced to their knees against a wall, filmed by police officers. An act of public humiliation, in total contempt for human dignity and contrary to every democratic standard.
And this was not an isolated case: in those same days, other footage and testimonies clearly showed worrying heavy-handed arrests, with students dragged to the ground, women and even minors treated without regard for their rights.
While students are beaten and arrested, citizens have witnessed violent groups apparently close to your party moving about undisturbed.
This selective tolerance raises serious concerns of rule of law.
Equally serious is the attack on freedom of information. N1, a news channel belonging to United Media (United Group), has been the target of a campaign of intimidation and pressure documented in recordings published by OCCRP/KRIK. You know perfectly well that silencing the last independent broadcaster means suffocating truth and pluralism.
President Vučić, it is not the youth, it is not the citizens, it is not the demonstrators who are jeopardising the European path of Serbia: Serbia belongs to Europe. But it is you — with your policies, your denyal your statements — which are undermining the credibility and the european path of your country.
Your accusations against Nikolina Sindjelić are embarrassing . The evidence shows that threats, unlawful arrests and violence have indeed taken place: personal attacks do not erase reality.
Your letter must therefore be sent back to the sender.
Serbian citizens deserve much better and Europe is something else: freedom, dignity, democracy.
Die europäische Stunde Serbiens – Verlorene Zeit oder neue Chance?
Public debate in Belgrade with Sandro Gozi and representatives of civil society Serbia’s European Hour – Lost time or a new opportunity?In his statement, Gozi denounces the hundreds of arrests of students and peaceful citizens, the use of a sonic cannon (LRAD) during the March protest in Novi Sad, the shocking video of students forced to their knees and filmed by police, the violent arrests of women and even minors, and the attack on press freedom with intimidation against N1, documented by OCCRP/KRIK.
Gozi stresses that it is not citizens who endanger Serbia’s European path, but President Vučić and his government. By resorting to repression, false narratives and attacks on fundamental freedoms, they are undermining the credibility and the European future of the country.
Offener Brief
To the President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić
with a copy to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen
President Vučić,
Your letter of 21 August addressed to President von der Leyen is a masterpiece of hypocrisy. But facts, numbers and images tell another story.
In recent months, hundreds of people have been arrested in Serbia, including students and peaceful citizens. Many of them remain in prison today, facing charges that are essentially political. In practice, this undermines their freedom of expression and discourages democratic participation. It is not the citizens who are destabilising the country: it is your government, repressing the right to protest.
In March, during a commemoration in Novi Sad, a sonic cannon (LRAD) was used against demonstrators, A weapon, capable of provoking harsh pain, panic and permanent hearing damage. A practice that has nothing to do with the european standards you claim to embrace.
On 15 August, a video showed fifteen young people forced to their knees against a wall, filmed by police officers. An act of public humiliation, in total contempt for human dignity and contrary to every democratic standard.
And this was not an isolated case: in those same days, other footage and testimonies clearly showed worrying heavy-handed arrests, with students dragged to the ground, women and even minors treated without regard for their rights.
While students are beaten and arrested, citizens have witnessed violent groups apparently close to your party moving about undisturbed.
This selective tolerance raises serious concerns of rule of law.
Equally serious is the attack on freedom of information. N1, a news channel belonging to United Media (United Group), has been the target of a campaign of intimidation and pressure documented in recordings published by OCCRP/KRIK. You know perfectly well that silencing the last independent broadcaster means suffocating truth and pluralism.
President Vučić, it is not the youth, it is not the citizens, it is not the demonstrators who are jeopardising the European path of Serbia: Serbia belongs to Europe. But it is you — with your policies, your denyal your statements — which are undermining the credibility and the european path of your country.
Your accusations against Nikolina Sindjelić are embarrassing . The evidence shows that threats, unlawful arrests and violence have indeed taken place: personal attacks do not erase reality.
Your letter must therefore be sent back to the sender.
Serbian citizens deserve much better and Europe is something else: freedom, dignity, democracy.
PDE-Seminar in Paris: Reformen, globale Herausforderungen und Unterstützung für François Bayrou
EDP MEPs in Paris with Gozi, Bayrou and Barrot: priorities for Strasbourg, governance reform, the cost of living, ecological transition and Europe’s global roleThe initiative follows Vučić’s letter sent to Brussels on 21 August, in which he accused Serbian students and demonstrators of violence, reversing the truth and blaming the victims of repression.
In his statement, Gozi denounces the hundreds of arrests of students and peaceful citizens, the use of a sonic cannon (LRAD) during the March protest in Novi Sad, the shocking video of students forced to their knees and filmed by police, the violent arrests of women and even minors, and the attack on press freedom with intimidation against N1, documented by OCCRP/KRIK.
Gozi stresses that it is not citizens who endanger Serbia’s European path, but President Vučić and his government. By resorting to repression, false narratives and attacks on fundamental freedoms, they are undermining the credibility and the European future of the country.
Offener Brief
To the President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić
with a copy to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen
President Vučić,
Your letter of 21 August addressed to President von der Leyen is a masterpiece of hypocrisy. But facts, numbers and images tell another story.
In recent months, hundreds of people have been arrested in Serbia, including students and peaceful citizens. Many of them remain in prison today, facing charges that are essentially political. In practice, this undermines their freedom of expression and discourages democratic participation. It is not the citizens who are destabilising the country: it is your government, repressing the right to protest.
In March, during a commemoration in Novi Sad, a sonic cannon (LRAD) was used against demonstrators, A weapon, capable of provoking harsh pain, panic and permanent hearing damage. A practice that has nothing to do with the european standards you claim to embrace.
On 15 August, a video showed fifteen young people forced to their knees against a wall, filmed by police officers. An act of public humiliation, in total contempt for human dignity and contrary to every democratic standard.
And this was not an isolated case: in those same days, other footage and testimonies clearly showed worrying heavy-handed arrests, with students dragged to the ground, women and even minors treated without regard for their rights.
While students are beaten and arrested, citizens have witnessed violent groups apparently close to your party moving about undisturbed.
This selective tolerance raises serious concerns of rule of law.
Equally serious is the attack on freedom of information. N1, a news channel belonging to United Media (United Group), has been the target of a campaign of intimidation and pressure documented in recordings published by OCCRP/KRIK. You know perfectly well that silencing the last independent broadcaster means suffocating truth and pluralism.
President Vučić, it is not the youth, it is not the citizens, it is not the demonstrators who are jeopardising the European path of Serbia: Serbia belongs to Europe. But it is you — with your policies, your denyal your statements — which are undermining the credibility and the european path of your country.
Your accusations against Nikolina Sindjelić are embarrassing . The evidence shows that threats, unlawful arrests and violence have indeed taken place: personal attacks do not erase reality.
Your letter must therefore be sent back to the sender.
Serbian citizens deserve much better and Europe is something else: freedom, dignity, democracy.
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