19.10.2009
International Conference: “The New Reform Agenda of the New EU Member States” organized by EuPI took place on October 19, 2009
The year 2009 marks the 5th anniversary of the 5th enlargement of the EU, 20 years of the fall of the Berlin Wall and 1 year from the start of the global economic crisis. While the accession and Berlin Wall anniversaries provide basis for reflection and elicit important lessons, the global economic crisis effects inject a sense of urgency to look ahead. At this backdrop, the European Policies Initiative (EuPI) of the Open Society Institute – Sofia with the support of the World Bank, has decided to gather opinion leaders, experts and decision makers to help charter with their insights the reform agenda of the region.
The advent of the crisis has been serving as a “stress test” to determine the resilience not only of their economies, but the full spectrum of political, institutional and social changes.
The crisis provides a rare window of opportunity to act and reform, but little time to reflect and make decisions. The CEE countries have three overlapping tasks: they have to go on with the EU membership agenda; they have to manage successfully the crisis; and at the same time they have to enact reforms in order to emerge in a few years adapted to the post-crisis realities. Measures in finance and economy should be accompanied by structural reforms in the “human development” package as integral parts of the tool kit of the anti-crisis response. And the success of reforms would depend on addressing the deficits in the “politics and governance” package, which can make or break the proposed policy solutions.
Thus, the objective of the event was to seek solutions that draw from similar experience, but at the same time are tailored to national specifics and finally solutions that can be offered in wider EU context. Next to setting the policy agenda was to rank priorities of what is necessary vs what is politically and economically feasible. Finally the forum sought to identify and involve the agents of change and reform minded constituencies.
The conference was organized also with the support of the East East: Partnership Beyond Borders Program of the Open Society Institute - Sofia.
You can download “The New Reform Agenda of the New EU Member States” conference materials here:
Materials in English
Conference program in English
Resumees of speakers and moderators in English
List of speakers,moderators and international participants
Materials in Bulgarian
Conference program in Bulgarian
Resumees of speakers and moderators in Bulgarian
Listen to the audio recording of the conference here
Listen to the translation into English of the Bulgarian language presentations here
Video: Panel 1 Panel 2 Panel 3 Panel 4
Minutes and presentations from the panels
Opening and Panel 1: Regional Solutions to Regional Problems?
"What has so far impeded Bulgaria’s further advancement is not the lack of administrative capacity but the absence of political will for reform" affirmed Minister of Finance Simeon Djankov at the international conference on The New Reform Agenda of the New Member States organised by the Open Society Institute. Click here to read more.
"CEE countries’ recovery from the crisis will take longer than for the rest of the EU Member States," observed Florian Fichtl, Permanent Representative of the World Bank in Bulgaria, in his contribution to the international conference on The New Reform Agenda of the New Member States. Click here to read more.
Panel 2: Macro-economic issues
Tonny Lybek, Resident Representative of IMF in Romania, emphasized that the target funding currently provided to countries in risk in order to soften the negative effects of the crisis should not be used as an excuse to slow down structural reform.
Prof. Marek Dabrowski, President of the Center for Social and Economic Research, warned of various potential challenges to the financial recovery of CEE countries Click here to read more.
Panel 3: Investing in Human Capital
"Investment in education is essentially a counter-crisis measure," argued Minister of Education Yordanka Fandakova who took part in the international conference on The New Reform Agenda of the New EU Member States. Click here to read more. .
Panel 4: Politics and governance in the crisis?
Ivan Krastev, Chairman of the Board of the Centre for Liberal Strategies, drew a parallel between the challenges experienced by Bulgaria during the crisis which occurred between the end of 1996 and the beginning of 1997, and those posed by the current global crisis. "If back in 1997 the government simply stated what had to be done in response to the crisis regardless of the opinion of the people, reforms in the present context are not possible without broad social consent," Krastev argued.Click here to read more.
Presentations
“Financial Crisis in Central and Southern Europe: The World Bank’s Instruments and Policies”, Orsalia Kalantzopoulos, Senior Advisor Financial and Private Sector Development, World Bank
"From Crisis to Recovery", Florian Fichtl, Country Manager, World Bank Sofia Office
“CEE macro outlook: is Emerging Europe on the way to a healthy recovery?”
Gyula Toth, Vice President, EEMEA Economist/Strategist, UniCredit Bank, Vienna
"Exchange Rate Regime and Response of the Crisis in the New EU Member States", Kalin Hristov, elected Vice Governor of the Bulgarian National Bank
"Macroeconomic Challenges for New EU Member States: Romania as a Case in Point"
Tonny Lybek, IMF Resident Representative for Bulgaria and Romania
"Prospects of Economic Recovery? Potential Traps and Uncertainties"
Marek Dabrowski, Professor of Economics, President of CASE - Center for
Social and Economic Research
“Fiscal Policy Challenges for Bulgaria”, Georgi Angelov, Senior Economist, Open Society Institute – Sofia
“Investing in Human Capital: Reform Challenges after Bulgaria’s Accession to the EU” , Boryana Gotcheva, Senior Social Protection Specialist, World Bank
"The Social Recession", Boyan Zahariev, Program Director, Governance and Public Policies Program, Open Society Institute - Sofia
"Improving Governance and Public Administration: Frontier Areas of Reform"
Florian Fichtl, Country Manager, World Bank Sofia Office
“Central Europe’s Post-Accession Blues”, Balint Molnar, Deputy Director, Freedom House – Europe
“Unfinished business - Where will Momentum for Reform Come from in Central Europe” , Adam Jasser, Member of the Board, Director of Programmes, demosEuropa
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