CERCLE DIPLOMATIQUE - issue 02/2019

L’AUTRICHE EUROPA-FORUM WACHAU
ria, Poland, Romania, the Czech Republic
and Hungary will not only participate
in the discussion in the forum but will
also have the chance to present their
ideas for the future of Europe as part of
the “Young High Flyer Eve” event at the
new State Gallery of Lower Austria in
Krems on 13.06.2019.
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Provincial Councillor Eichtinger, you also have
plenty of experience when it comes to the world
of international politics and acted, among other
positions, as the Austrian Ambassador to
Romania, Moldavia and later to the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
What does Europe mean to you personally?
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ZOOM VP
Landesrat Martin Eichtinger im Gespräch mit Landeshauptfrau Johanna Mikl-Leitner.
Provincial Councillor Martin Eichtinger in conversation with Governor Johanna Mikl- Leitner.
What is the goal of “Tourism Strategy Lower Austria
2025”?
Mikl-Leitner: The tourism sector is
soaring. Domestic and foreign visitors appreciate
our unique natural and cultural
landscape, our indulgent joie de vivre and,
last but not least, our heartfelt hospitality.
We already achieved our goal for our 2020
tourism strategy last year: The targeted
7.2 million overnight stays were exceeded
with more than 7.4 million overnight
stays in total. This is why we are now expanding
our offer with the new strategy
for 2025. Our goal: We want eight million
annual overnight stays by 2025.
This year, a new format was introduced to the
forum – six citizen’s dialogues titled “Europa-
Forum Wachau Salon” which serve the purpose of
complementing the forum and involving the
public more closely. How were the salons
received?
Eichtinger: With the help of the salons,
we are involving citizens in the political
discourse directly. We want to pick
people up right where they live. Via
smartphone, participants can voice their
opinions on various subjects such as Brexit,
new work environments or technology
and democracy. The results of the salons
will flow right into the Europa-Forum
Wachau 2019 and will then be discussed
more intensively at Göttweig Abbey. The
salons were very popular, the appointments
always fully booked.
Governor, you organised a youth plenum on the
10 th anniversary of the Europa-Forum Wachau in
2004 when you were acting Provincial Councillor
for Social Matters, Labour and Family in Lower
Austria. To what extent have young people been
involved in the forum since then and are there
going to be any special events related to this,
either this year or in the future?
Mikl-Leitner: When I was president
of the Europa-Forum Wachau, I took the
occasion of the event’s 10-year anniversary
to invite adolescents from what were
then the 25 EU member states. Young
people came together and discussed, as
part of their own youth plenum, their visions
for Europe in 2025 and were also
able to present their conclusions to the
plenum. Since then, we have further intensified
and expanded youth involvement
in the forum. This year, we have
submitted and approved an Erasmus+
project. Participants from France, Aust-
Eichtinger: Europe is matter very
close to my heart. I am very passionate
about it; I am a fiery European. I was present
during the fall of the Iron Curtain
when Foreign Minister Alois Mock and
his Hungarian counterpart Gyula Horn
cut through the border fence near Klingenbach
on 27th June 1989. This historic
moment had a lasting impression on me.
To me, it is very important that the value
of Europe is recognised even more than it
is today. Europe’s heart must beat in the
individual regions. We have to move
away from a negative way of thinking in
the EU and towards a stronger awareness
in Europe, Austria and Lower Austria of
how much the EU has done for our daily
lives.
Since 1995, 32 foreign ministers, 26 prime
ministers, 3 EU commissioners, one federal
president and more than 10,000 guests have
participated in the Europa-Forum Wachau. What
was the most memorable event throughout all of
these years?
Eichtinger: The perhaps greatest diplomatic
success of the Europa-Forum
Wachau was the meeting between the
Prime Minister of Serbia, Ivica Dačić,
and the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Hashim
Thaçi in 2013. The event led to the
first official handshake between the two
personalities, who, until that point, had
been enemies.
PHOTO: NLK
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64 Cercle Diplomatique 2/2019
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