Details

Meeting in Gdansk / On the occasion of the "Freedom Days" of the European Solidarity Centre and the City of Gdansk, a meeting took place between Donald Tusk, President of the Civic Platform, and David Gregosz, Head of the Foreign Office of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung in Poland. The discussion focused on the German elections, the political situation in Poland and the importance of current events for Europe.

European Solidarity Centre in Gdańsk, 2021

Gate No. 2 of Gdansk Shipyard, 2021

Old Town in Gdansk, 2021

Impressive speech by EU Vice-President and Commissioner for Values and Transparency Věra Jourová in Gdansk. She emphasised the elementary principles of democratic systems, in particular freedom of expression, freedom of the press and the rule of law. Poland should actively participate in the EU and respect the legacy of the Solidarność movement.

Former President of the European Parliament and former Chairman of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Dr Hans-Gert Pöttering with EU Vice-President and Commissioner for Values and Transparency Věra Jourova, and the Mayor of Gdansk, Aleksandra Dulkiewicz, Freedom Days, Gdansk / 2021

Lech Wałęsa, Freedom Days, Gdansk / 2021

Dr Hans-Gert Pöttering speaks at the Rally for Europe during the 41st anniversary of the August Agreements, Freedom Days, Gdansk / 2021

1/09/2021 WEDNESDAY
EUROPE WITH A VIEW TO THE FUTURE
THE 30th ANNIVERSARY OF THE COLLAPSE OF THE SOVIET UNION
THE 82nd ANNIVERSARY OF THE OUTBREAK OF WORLD WAR II

languages / English, German, Polish, Russian

INTERNATIONAL FORUM
EUROPE WITH A VIEW TO THE FUTURE

10.00 am / ECS temporary exhibition hall, ground floor / free admission

Introduction /
David Gregosz, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation
Edwin Bendyk, the Batory Foundation
Basil Kerski, European Solidarity Centre

10.30 am – 11.45 am / ECS temporary exhibition hall, ground floor / free admission
1991–2021. EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. EUROPE 30 YEARS AFTER THE COLLAPSE OF THE USSR
Evaluation of events in the post-Soviet space. How does Europe build its relations with Russia? Can we still talk about the "post-Soviet space" as a specific region? What makes the post-Soviet states so different from one another? Have the revolutions for independence brought full sovereignty and democracy?
The 10th anniversary of New Eastern Europe
(with the College of Eastern Europe and New Eastern Europe)
key-note speech / Andri Portnov
panelists / Laurynas Vaičiūnas, Marina Skorikova, Magdalena Lachowicz, Mykola Kniazhytsky, Wolfgang Eichwede
moderated by / Iwona Reichardt, Adam Reichardt (NEE)

12.00 am / Obrońców Poczty Polskiej Square (Defenders of the Polish Post Office), Old Town
COMMEMORATION OF THE 82nd ANNIVERSARY OF THE OUTBREAK OF WORLD WAR II

2.00 pm – 3.30 pm / ECS temporary exhibition hall, ground floor / free admission
DEMOCRACY IN RETREAT? IN DEFENSE OF CIVIL LIBERTIES IN EUROPE
What is a threat to freedom, pluralism and democracy? How to defend the universal human rights? / with PEN Club
key-note speech / Taciana Niadbaj
panelists / Aleksander Kaczorowski, Marek Radziwon, Mykola Riabchuk, Magdalena Heydel, Georges Mink
moderated by / Jacek Kołtan
 

4.00 pm / ECS permanent exhibition / admission: online reservation + ticket available at the ticket office
STRIKE! The ECS permanent exhibition tours with the ECS certified guides

4.00 pm – 6.00  pm / ECS temporary exhibition hall, ground floor / free admission
CIVIC EUROPE. CIVIC DIPLOMACY IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE
Seminar – workshop studio / with the Batory Foundation
On civic diplomacy and democracy rejuvenation in the Central and Eastern Europe. What forms of cooperation are possible?

6.00 pm – 7.30 pm / ECS temporary exhibition hall, ground floor / free admission
EUROPE AND THE WORLD. NEW OPENING, NEW LEADERS, NEW ALLIANCES
How has Joe Biden’s presidency influenced geopolitics? How will elections in Germany and France define Europe anew? Is solidarity in international politics possible in 2021? What alliances for democracy are possible?
key-note speech / Paweł Kowal
panelists / Hans-Gert Pöttering, Agnieszka Bryc, Tal Ben-Ari Yaalon, Edwin Bendyk, Bernard Guetta
moderated by / Basil Kerski

The Forum is the international highlight of the Freedom Days, which will take place from 27 August to 1 September 2021 in the former Hanseatic city on the Baltic Sea, a symbol of freedom and solidarity.

Among the various events taking place over several days, we would like to draw particular attention to the lecture by the Russian journalist and political activist Shanna Nemtsova.

31/08/2021
THE BIRTH OF SOLIDARNOŚĆ
41st ANNIVERSARY OF THE SIGNING OF THE AUGUST AGREEMENTS 

LECTURE
ZHANNA NEMTSOVA / Russian journalist and social activist who chose political exile after numerous threats on social media / daughter of Boris Nemtsov - politician, democracy activist, human rights defender, supporter of liberal economic reforms and opponent of the annexation of Crimea by Russia, shot dead in the centre of Moscow by unknown assasins

INTRODUCTION
Basil Kerski, Aleksandra Dulkiewicz, Věra Jourová

DISCUSSION
Zhanna Nemtsova, Věra Jourová, Basil Kerski

For the full programme of the "Freedom Days" ('Święto Wolności') in Gdansk, see:

https://www.ecs.gda.pl/1980gdansk