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Neue geopolitische Realität

16. Jože Pučnik-Symposium

Aktuelle geopolitische Veränderungen standen im Mittelpunkt des 16. Jože Pučnik Symposiums, das in Slovenska Bistrica stattfand. Experten, Politiker, u.a. auch der SDS-Parteivorsitzende Janez Janša und Vertreter der slowenischen Zivilgesellschaft kamen zusammen, um über die veränderte Weltlage und deren Auswirkungen zu diskutieren. Das Symposium, das vom KAS-Auslandsbüro Kroatien und Slowenien und dem Institut Dr. Jože Pučnik organisiert wurde, beleuchtete neben globalen Machtverschiebungen, wirtschaftlicher Stabilität und internationaler Zusammenarbeit auch neue Herausforderungen wie die Rolle der Trump II-Administration bei der Gestaltung eines „neuen“ globalen Systems, die Reaktion der EU auf die globalen Veränderungen sowie die Strategie zur Schaffung eines dauerhaften Friedens im Nahen Osten und Osteuropa. Darüber hinaus wurden Fragen der Meinungsfreiheit, des Aufstiegs des Rechtspopulismus und der zunehmenden Medienregulierung in Europa thematisiert. Das Symposium endete mit einer Verleihung des Pučnik-Preises für die Entwicklung der Demokratie in Slowenien.

Juro Avgustinović
March 14, 2025
Event reports

New Geopolitical Reality

16th Pučnik Symposium

Current geopolitical changes were the focus of the 16th Jože Pučnik Symposium, which took place in Slovenska Bistrica. Experts, politicians, including the leader of the SDS party Janez Janša, and representatives of Slovenian civil society gathered to discuss the changed global situation and its implications. The symposium, organized by the KAS Office Croatia and Slovenia and the Dr. Jože Pučnik Institute, addressed, in addition to global power shifts, economic stability, and international cooperation, new challenges such as the role of the Trump II administration in shaping a "new" global system, the EU’s response to global changes, and the strategy for establishing lasting peace in the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Furthermore, issues such as freedom of speech, the rise of right-wing populism, and increasing media regulation in Europe were discussed. The symposium concluded with the awarding of the Pučnik Prize for the development of democracy in Slovenia.

Juro Avgustinović
March 14, 2025
Event reports
HZŽ

Sustainable Tourism

Regional Development Forum

Before the start of the main tourist season in 2025, the KAS Office Croatia and Slovenia, together with the Croatian County Association (CCA), held a conference on the development and future of Croatian tourism. Croatia is one of the most important tourist destinations in the Mediterranean, attracting around 20 million foreign tourists annually. The country has numerous natural treasures and is very popular among tourists from all over the world. Accordingly, tourism is the most important economic sector in the country, accounting for nearly 20 percent of GDP. Around two-thirds of Croatia’s GDP comes from the service sector. However, Croatian tourism has recently faced major challenges due to ongoing inflation and the enormous rise in prices, mass tourism, a shortage of workers, and new tax policies. Therefore, sustainability was highlighted as a priority for tourism development in Croatia. Only sustainability could provide answers to the current challenges by creating a balance between economic and social growth, as well as caring for all aspects of the environment. Croatia’s Minister for Tourism and Sports, Tonči Glavina, emphasized that sustainability should be based on a stable pricing policy and that an organized system must be established to support and adjust this policy. He reminded that the Croatian government has made fundamental changes in the tourism sector, but that the challenges in tourism cannot only be solved through tourism policy but also through housing, tax, and labor market policies. The first systemic approaches aimed at providing solutions were introduced through amendments to five laws, according to the minister. The goal is to improve the quality of life of the local population and create affordable housing through the implementation of reforms. This is how the housing shortage caused by the short-term rental of apartments to tourists in tourist regions is to be counteracted.

Juro Avgustinović
March 14, 2025
Event reports

Political Academy SDS -

Young Leaders Seminar – Leadership in state, economics, party

Dr. Klaus Schüler, former Federal Director of the CDU, met with the SDS party leader Janez Janša over the weekend as part of the seminar "Political Academy" of the SDS in Cadenabbia. The seminar focused on the importance of training and further education for leaders in politics and business. Dr. Schüler shared his experiences from his time as the coordinator for the federal-state coordination in several Union election campaigns. Janša emphasized the qualities of a good leader, particularly highlighting the importance of values, time, and money. The speakers also included Dr. Norbert Eschhorn, head of the KAS Office Croatia and Slovenia, who analyzed the political situation in Germany following the federal elections.

Juro Avgustinović
March 10, 2025
Event reports

Women in Politics of the NSi

Seminar

On the occasion of International Women's Day, the Institute Dr. Janez E. Krek (IJEK), in collaboration with KAS Office Croatia and Slovenia and the Women's Association of the NSi in Bled, organized a seminar on the topic "Women in Politics." The event highlighted key challenges and opportunities for women in politics and society. The importance of women's participation in political processes and the influence of the media on their societal role were emphasized. Among the speakers was Dr. Klaus Schüler, former political chief strategist of the former German Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel, who shared his insights and extensive experience. For the first time, Dr. Norbert Eschborn participated as the new head of the KAS Foreign Office Croatia-Slovenia.

Juro Avgustinović
March 10, 2025
Event reports

Project handover to Dr. Norbert Eschborn

New Head of the KAS Office for Croatia and Slovenia

On March 6th, Jakov Devčić handed over the directorship of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung's office for Croatia and Slovenia to Dr. Norbert Eschborn. The latter succeeds Holger Haibach, who had represented the Foundation in Zagreb for the past few years and left in December 2024. Eschborn thanked Haibach, who is now taking on another important role in the region, for his successful work, and also offered words of appreciation to Devčić for his committed interim management of the office since the beginning of the year. The new director expressed his excitement about his future role and promised to devote all his energies to promoting the interests of both countries and deepening their bilateral relations.

Juro Avgustinović
March 6, 2025
Event reports

Women in Politics

Seminar, Modul 2, 6th Generation

Together with the Croatian Statehood Foundation (ZHDZ), the Konrad Adenauer Foundation organized the second Module of the series "Women in Politics" for the 6th Generation of young female politicians of the HDZ from February 7th to 9th, 2025 in Tuheljske Toplice. Participants of the seminar discussed with politicians, and communication and political science experts the significance of leadership in politics, the EU, and the protection of national interests, characteristics of effective organizational management, as well as the challenges of political communication.

Juro Avgustinović
February 10, 2025
Event reports

Political academy: Interim evaluation

Winter School

Together with the Croatian Statehood Foundation (ZHDZ) the Konrad Adenauer Foundation organized an event "interim evaluation" of the 18th generation of the ZHDZ's junior political education program from January 31st to February 2nd, 2025, in Rovinj. This weekend seminar always takes place at the end of the first semester of the one-year training course, offers lectures by political stakeholders and serves above all to evaluate the training success achieved so far as well as the preparation of the second half of the course. During the seminar, participants discussed with the Acting Head of the Office of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation for Croatia and Slovenia, Jakov Devčić, and representatives of Croatian universities on topics such as language and cultural identity of a nation, emotional intelligence, morality and authenticity as values in politics, the relationship between religion and politics, the foundations of the family and Christian-democratic values in politics and society, the influence of informal groups on the international order, and the political situation in the Federal Republic of Germany ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections.

Juro Avgustinović
February 3, 2025
Event reports

Political Academy PLUS

Workshop, Module 6, 4. Generation

The Konrad Adenauer Foundation, together with the Croatian Statehood Foundation (ZHDZ), organized a workshop for the 4th generation of participants of the "Political Academy PLUS" project from January 17th to 19th, 2025, in Slavonski Brod. During the workshop, representatives from Croatian universities discussed with the participants the importance of political leadership in politics, Human resource management in management, elements of effective organizational management, and the presentation of political content in political communication.

Juro Avgustinović
January 20, 2025
Event reports

Christian Democratic Values and the Future of the EU

12th Congress on Values

This year's Congress on Values on the subject "Christian-Democratic Values and the Future of the EU" was organized in cooperation with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, the Croatian Statehood Foundation (ZHDZ), and the Catholic University of Croatia on December 5th in Zagreb. In the presence of numerous representatives from the KAS partner organizations, as well as prominent guests from politics and society, Holger Haibach, the head of the KAS office in Zagreb, bid farewell to his position by thanking the partners for their long-standing successful cooperation and summarizing the foundation’s work in Croatia and Slovenia over the past five years. His successor, Dr. Norbert Eschborn, the designated head of the KAS office in Zagreb, expressed his gratitude to his predecessor for the work done and looked forward with confidence and anticipation to his upcoming role and time in Zagreb. The Congress on Values concluded with a panel discussion in which the Member of Parliament Zdravka Bušić, former MEP, the Rector of the Catholic University of Croatia, Prof. Dr. Željko Tanjić, the Chairman of the Slovenian SLS Party, Marko Balažić, and Dr. Norbert Eschborn, the designated head of the KAS office in Zagreb, discussed the significance of Christian-Democratic values in modern politics, as well as the challenges facing Europe and the EU in light of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Middle East conflict between Israel and Palestine, and the ongoing migration waves in Europe.

Juro Avgustinović
December 6, 2024
Event reports

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About this series

The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, its educational institutions, centres and foreign offices, offer several thousand events on various subjects each year. We provide up to date and exclusive reports on selected conferences, events and symposia at www.kas.de. In addition to a summary of the contents, you can also find additional material such as pictures, speeches, videos or audio clips.

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Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e.V.