General

Due to Corona, the European Forum unfortunately could not take place in the usual form this year, but that didn’t stop the European Federalist Movement Styria (EFB), the Young European Federalists (JEF) and EYFON from forming a joint initiative and addressing “Wishes to Europe”. In full compliance with the legal requirements, some members of EFB Steiermark, JEF Steiermark, JEF Carinthia and EFB Austria gathered at the Europaburg Castle in Neumarkt and shared their experiences during the lock-down, discussed digital challenges or national solo efforts in Corona times and made plans for the future.

The highlight was the “Europe balloon campaign”: In advance members and friends of the EFB and JEF were invited to post their wishes for the Europe Forum 2020, for the EFB and for Europe on the new EFB website. Those present at the Europaburg Castle finally let 100 wishes for Europe rise into the air using biodegradable balloons.

In February, after intensive preparation, the planned Europaburg Castle renovation could start. The first step will be the realization of Viennese architect Dipl. Ing. Peter Mensdorff-Pouilly’s plans for the redesign and modernization of the tower wing, with the support of local professionals. Existing sanitary rooms are to be renewed, additional wet rooms are to be integrated into the multi-bed rooms and a new lounge area is to be created for this wing. The first construction phases have already been successfully completed.

At the moment, construction work is on hold for an indefinite period due to the Corona crisis and the associated measures that were taken by the Austrian federal government to contain the virus. As soon as the situation allows, work will be continued.

The doors of Castle Forchtenstein were open to all partners of EYFON and potential investors on the 16th July.

After a lunch together at the Forellenhof Knauder, during which ideas and perspectives of the organisation were discussed in a pleasant atmosphere, the guests and the EYFON team visited the castle together. There, everybody had the chance to see the new trailer for the EYFON YouthDays Hungary-Styria: HUST, and to hear about the activities of the organisation.

After that, the guests were shown around the castle and had a relaxed conversation about the forthcoming EYFON events.

The Open Day was an opportunity to get to know the EYFON team better, to gather ideas for future projects, and to exchange experiences with people working in different areas.

EYFON would like to thank all partners and investors, who contribute to fulfilling our vision and support our work in connecting young people.

The Europa-Forum Neumarkt 2019 organized by the European Federalist Movement (EFB Styria) and the Young European Federalists (JEF Styria) took place at the Castle Forchtenstein between the 12th and the 14th July. The high quality presenters from different European institutions included Dr. Eva Lichtenberger, Mag. Lukas Mandl, Dr. Melanie Sully, Simone Schmiedtbauer, Dr. Irmgard Griss and Dr. Albrecht Rothacher.

The presentations on the topics of Brexit, European Parliament elections, future visions of Europe, Southeast Europe, Hungary, and Russia had a numerous audience and were always followed by a lively discussion.

This year´s celebration took place in the Raiffeisen hall of the market community building, and on the occasion Prof. Franz Majcen was awarded the Golden Badge of Honour of the European Federalist Movement of Austria.

The Europe Library at Castle Forchtenstein was launched on the 13th July. EYFON President Christoph Leitl worked several months on this project in order to acquire a collection of around 2500 books and make it available to the visitors. Some of the books are part of the collection of Max Wratschgo, the honorary chairman of the European Federalist Movement (EFB), some of them were donated by friends and partners of EYFON, and some works were purchased from a bookshop in Linz that closed down.

All books are related to Europe and are divided by topics, such as picture books, history, politics, art, culture, religion, nature, gastronomy, and children´s books.

“My name is Ena Dervisefendic. I come from Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also due to my roots I have a Slovenian nationality. I finished The First Bosniak High School – Cambridge International School in Sarajevo in 2018. I am studying Economics and Management at the School of Economics and Management in Sarajevo and have successfully finished the first year. When I obtain my Bachelor degree in Economics and Management in Sarajevo, my plan is to continue my Management Master studies in Vienna. To study in a multicultural surrounding is a great opportunity for young people to step out of their comfort zones, exchange experiences, to learn new cultures and to meet a world from different perspectives. Moreover, as a former swimmer that competed on an international level, I can say that through sport people are making connections and lifetime friendships and long-lasting partnerships. Besides swimming, my hobbies include all kinds of sport, volunteering in projects, photography and learning new languages. For young people it is important to get involved in many different projects that can help shape a better future, not only for them but also for Europe and for the whole world. Furthermore, because of that, EYFON is a place that can help you to grow as a person, to think more and to be aware of the important happenings in the political and cultural aspects in Europe because who can change the world if the young people can’t!”

So, let’s make a world a better place!

Topics such as sustainability and energy are always on the agenda for EYFON. Energy Styria supports our team with an electric mountain bike that was given to EYFON-CEO Christian Buchmann by Urs Harnik, a representative of the company. The event took place in Graz on the 4th July.

EYFON-CEO Buchmann sees Neumarkt as the ideal place to shape Styria´s green future. The acquisition of the electric bike may be a small piece of the sustainability puzzle, but it is a very tangible piece for young people.