In the light of alarming political developments all over Europe, the S&D Group will launch a Democracy Month at its next #EuropeTogether event in Vienna tomorrow, 11 October 2018. During the event, the S&D Group together with its partners will debate with citizens about ‘Defending Democracy and the Rule of Law’. Speakers will include among others Udo Bullmann, S&D Group president; Pamela Rendi-Wagner, Party leader of the Austrian Social Democrats SPÖ; and Andreas Schieder, Deputy Parliamentary leader of the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ) of the National Council. The event will also involve a keynote speech from Hungarian-born philosopher, Agnes Heller.
Ahead of the event, the S&D Group will organise a “Together-Go Local” event in a neighbourhood in Vienna to discuss in an open way with youth and citizens about the future of democracy in Europe. Speakers at this event will include among others Josef Weidenholzer, S&D Group vice-president, and Hannes Swoboda, former S&D Group president.
Commenting on the launch of the Democracy Month, Udo Bullmann said:
“We are extremely worried by the increasing number of attacks on the freedom of press, the independence of the judiciary and the integrity of elections in Europe, threatening our most precious principles: democracy and the rule of law. We will not stand idle and watch. It is time to take action and defend our democracy in Europe and the fundamental principle of the rule of law!
“We must listen to people and their needs, and understand why so many are disillusioned and open to populists and right wing proposals. We will make it clear to the citizens that there is an alternative to the Orbáns, Salvinis or Bannons of this world – an alternative that stands for freedom, solidarity, and justice. It’s time to act - so let’s defend our democracies in Europe together!”
Following the events in Austria, the S&D Group will go on a “Together-Go Local” Tour in Eastern Europe and organise smaller citizen’s events in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary.
The “Democracy Month” will end with a large Together event in Copenhagen on 22 November 2018 celebrating the 25 Years of the Copenhagen Criteria. Ahead of the European Parliament Elections, the S&D Group will focus again on this topic, when organising a “Democracy Week” with various activities at the end of March 2019 in Brussels and launching a Europe-wide “March for Europe” on 24 March 2019.
The full programme of the Together event in Vienna is available here
The event is open to the press and will also be web streamed
For further details on the “Democracy Month”, please see here
