High level politicians and royals gather at Alpbach forum

High ranking politicians, royals and a leading candidate for the next United Nations secretary general are attending the European Forum Alpbach in Tyrol, ORF reported. The forum’s second half began on Sunday and will run until Friday under the theme “How Europe Wins”.

Representatives from politics, business, academia and civil society are debating Europe’s future in the Alpbach Valley. European Forum Alpbach President Othmar Karas opened the second week with political scientist and former Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta and Indian parliamentarian and former UN diplomat Shashi Tharoor.

Several foreign government ministers are expected at the 82nd forum. Hamish Falconer, the British Labour government’s minister for European relations, is making his first visit to an EU member state since taking office a month ago.

Falconer will join Austrian Europe Minister Claudia Bauer, Ireland’s Europe Minister Thomas Byrne and Poland’s Secretary of State for European Affairs Ignacy Niemczycki for a debate on political priorities for a competitive and resilient continent.

Austrian Foreign Minister and NEOS leader Beate Meinl Reisinger will meet her Albanian counterpart, Ferit Hoxha. Monica Juma, director general of the UN Office in Vienna, and Bulgarian political scientist Ivan Krastev will take part in discussions on a new European security architecture. Government members from Estonia, the Czech Republic and Ukraine are also expected. Ten members of Austria’s federal government are attending, while Chancellor Christian Stocker is not scheduled to take part.

President Alexander Van der Bellen will arrive on Wednesday for a meeting of German speaking heads of state. The participants will include Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein, Belgium’s King Philippe, Guillaume, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, German President Frank Walter Steinmeier and Swiss President Guy Parmelin.

Rebeca Grynspan, secretary general of the UN Conference on Trade and Development and a former vice president of Costa Rica, is also attending. The economist is seeking to succeed UN Secretary General António Guterres from 2027. Alongside Guyanese diplomat Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett and International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi of Argentina, she is considered one of the leading candidates in the election by the UN Security Council and General Assembly.

EU Commissioner Magnus Brunner, responsible for migration and internal security, is the only participating EU commissioner. At the conclusion of the Euregio Days on Sunday, he met Kata Tütto, the Hungarian president of the European Committee of the Regions, and the governors of Tyrol, South Tyrol and Trentino.

Members of the European Parliament from the centre parties are also attending, including Andreas Schieder, Evelyn Regner, Lukas Mandl and Helmut Brandstätter, as well as other lawmakers from Germany, Italy and Romania.

Karas plans to end the forum with a manifesto for the first time in 80 years. It is intended to set out ten points from the discussions aimed at advancing Europe and supporting peace, freedom and the rule of law.