EPP Panel

Washington, D.C. (October 13, 2009) - Dr. Walid Phares, Senior Fellow and Director of the Future Terrorism Project at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies spoke at the conference “The World in 2025: The Basis for Social and Economic Recovery” under the auspices of the EPP (Majority Party at the European Parliament) on October 15 through 17 in Vienna. The Conference, organized by the EPP Federation of Think Tanks, the European Ideas Network (EIN), gathers a large number of European executive leaders and legislators.

During the Conference in progress in Vienna Dr Phares met with the new President of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek. The 69-year-old Polish MEP will lead the European Parliament for two and a half years (until January 2012). President Buzek is the first President of the European Parliament to come from Central and Eastern Europe following the EU's enlargement in 2004. Phares also met with former President of Mexico Vicente Fox and with former Prime Minister of Spain, Jose Maria Aznar.


Among the main speakers this year:: Wilfried Martens, President, EPP Party; former Prime Minister of Belgium (1979-92), José Manuel Barroso, President, European Commission, Franco Frattini, Foreign Minister, Italy, Dr Michael Spindelegger, Foreign Minister, Austria; Austrian People's Party and Theodora Bakoyannis, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Greece; Chairperson in Office, OSCE.

Speakers on European and international economics include Jacques Barrot, Vice-President, European Commission, Dr Josef Pröll, Vice-Chancellor and Minister of Finance, Austria; Chairman, Austrian People's Party, Ioannis Kasoulides MEP, Vice-Chairman, responsible for Working Group 'Foreign Affairs', EPP Group in the EP, Dr Walburga Habsburg Douglas, President, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Dr Viviane Reding, European Commissioner responsible for Information Society and Media

Speakers on European and International security include in addition to Dr Phares, who also serves as a visiting Scholar with the European Foundation for Democracy, former Minister of Interior in Spain Jaime Mayor Oreja MEP, Vice-Chairman, responsible for Political Strategy and the European Ideas Network EPP, Group in the EP, Dr Michael Gahler MEP, EPP Group Co-ordinator, EP Security and Defence Sub-Committee, Anthony Glees, Director; Buckingham University Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies.

The sessions will be opened by Joseph Daul MEP (France), Chairman, EPP Group in the European Parliament (EP), Mag. Othmar Karas MEP, Vice-Chairman, Treasurer, responsible for Communication Strategy, EPP Group in the EP and Dr Ernst Strasser MEP, Head of the Austrian Delegation, EPP Group in the EP.

Dr Phares was appointed as Co-Secretary General of the Transatlantic Parliamentary Group on Counter Terrorism (TAG) during the second Summit of the Group in Washington on September 22, 2009. Phares will present a report on strategies to counter the Jihadist threat as discussed by the TAG summit.

© Copyright 2003 by walidphares.com

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