ESW Bratislava, 2003: Perspectives
The commitment of Christians and Christian Social Organisations in construction of the European Union
In his opening speech, Doekle Terpstra, chairman of the European Social Weeks, formulated the context of the seminar. At the ESW 2000, Romano Prodi had said that we have to search for the soul of Europe and before all make of Europe a social union. The economy and the social dialogue need to be oriented on wider social values. Going further on this line, Terpstra said that democracy and the vitality of Europe rest in ourselves, not in the centers in Brussels and Strasbourg. Citizens and organisations make a vital society. So the aim of the seminar is to find out what contribution to the European society we can make and how we can make our contribution more efficacious.