“Support, Assistance & Leavening…”

Impressions from the 1st Summer Academy of the European Senior Citizens’ Union in Vienna /
Luc Vandeputte amongst the guests from 20 countries / European Senior Citizens’ Council brought forward

Text and photos by Ulrich Winz (Berlin)

VIENNA. With their very first “European Summer Academy of the European Senior Citizens’ Union for Executives” held from 23rd to 25th of August at the Political Academy in Vienna the European Senior Citizens’ Union has successfully addressed a new direction. The overall theme of “Senior Citizens – an Active Life with Strong Values” attracted representatives from 20 nations. The Austrian Senior Citizens’ Associations is experienced in organising large-scale events thanks to the “South-West Regional Conferences of the European Senior Citizens’ Union” and their own summer academy events, and again demonstrated excellence as a prudent host. This also includes sharing of experience by the representatives of the Austrian Senior Citizens' Association and active participation in discussing sometimes widely varying findings from other countries. Bearing in mind that half of the participants originate from countries behind the former “iron curtain” where the conditions of political senior citizens’ activities are completely different – in some Eastern and Central European countries establishment of national senior citizens’ organisations still continue to face major obstacles even though the peaceful revolutions were 20 years ago. This is particularly true for the Belarusian organisation “Our Generation” (“Nashe Pokolenie”) with seat in Minsk represented by its president, Ms Tatyana Zelko.

The host, the Austrian Senior Citizens’ Association, chaired by Prof. Dr. Andreas Khol see themselves as a stakeholder of the elder generation on all levels, as a part of their “home party”, the Austrian People’s Party, and as a service organisation. Due to their committed and successful activities the Austrian Senior Citizens’ Association is a paragon for all European senior citizens organisations – and even more for those conservative parties which have only recently been associated with the European Senior Citizens’ Union through their “senior citizens representatives”, i.e. where the establishment of senior citizens’ associations remains outstanding.

1st Summer Academy of the ESCU for Senior citizens' leaders, Vienna, August 2010

Prof. Dr. Andreas Khol delivering a speech; next to him Heinz K. Becker, Dr. Bernhard Worms and Dr. Marilies Flemming

As Prof. Khol, General Secretary Heinz K. Becker and leading representatives from the Austrian provincial groups reliably assured, their organisation is strongly anchored in the awareness of the population and society. Khol: “We are winning political mandates in regions were we have strong membership. There is at least one mandate holder from our organisation in each municipality. We are aiming at two!” Becker: “We can no longer be ignored. Nothing is possible without us!” The Austrian Senior Citizens’ Association directs all their (honorary) services and activities at meaningful life of the elder generations. This includes securing the social security systems, assistance in all matters of life, advocating honorary commitment (in politics, culture, sports, tourism and other fields of interest) as well as corresponding service portfolio.
As a result of long-standing advocacy, the Austrian Senior Citizens’ Association is now accepted by their own party (the Austrian People’s Party) as the counsellor of the largest population group and a strong voting pool.  Several speeches (delivered by Dr. Marilies Flemming, Dr. Werner Fasslabend, Dr. Ernst Strasser MdEP, Dr. Klaus Hecke, Karlheinz Klopf, Hansgeorg Enzinger, Dietmar Kriechbaum as the chair/reporter of the working group and many others) have clearly reconfirmed this through many examples.

1st Summer Academy of the ESCU for Senior citizens' leaders, Vienna, August 2010

Vienna. Springer-Castle with Seminar hotel. Seat of the Political Academy.

The Austrian Senior Citizens’ Association – together with the Political Academy of the Austrian Senior Citizens’ Association – is with 305,000 contributing members the numerically strongest member association of the European Senior Citizens’ Union. The President of the European Senior Citizens' Union, Dr. Bernhard Worms (Germany), confirmed they were the “leavening” (cf. Matthew 13:33). He lodged this claim at the same time for our entire umbrella organisation, the European Senior Citizens’ Union. At another point he referred to “support” and “assistance” whereby he brought the self-image of the European Senior Citizens' Union and their structure precisely down to the point. In the 15th year of its existence, at least 820,000 people felt committed to the European Senior Citizens’ Union through their member organisations or parties according to a recent still ongoing survey, stated Worms to applause. Pioneers and fellow members of the first hour from Austria such as Dr. Stefan Knafl (president between 1995 and 2001, afterwards honorary president), Wilhelm Mohaupt (general secretary, since 2007 honorary president) and Walter Paul (treasurer, responsible for public relations) laid the foundations for this success. They had many friends across the European Senior Citizens' Union and remain highly respected after having passed away.

Seed Capital Well Invested
Worms expressed deep acknowledgment for participation of the deputy general secretary of the European People’s Party, Luc Vandeputte, in this first summer academy organised in cooperation with the European People’s Party. “Events like this are platforms allowing discussion of topical and organisational issues both we and the European People’s Party are confronted with, and they should become a regular event.” He wants to advocate this idea at the congress taking place in Bad Honnef, Germany, in early November 2010; and concluded that the seed capital of 100,000 Austrian Schillings provided by Stefan Knafl had not only allowed the establishment of the European Senior Citizens’ Union in Madrid in 1995, but has been yielding a multiple of the original investment over the years.

1st Summer Academy of the ESCU for Senior citizens' leaders, Vienna, August 2010

Dr. Worms and Luc Vandeputte (R to L)

The European Senior Citizens’ Union will – with the efforts originating in Vienna – even more strongly focus on future concerns, since we accept our co-liability for a peaceful Europe with strong democratic roots which must provide the room for the already five generations – including the three in the post-retirement phase of life – which they deserve. “We wish to foster civil commitment in old age since in our understanding it is an indispensable part of our Christian perception of man and dignity through life.”

Dr. Worms asked the audience to demand from political parties, if not already the case, independent senior citizens' organisations which are ready to face this demographic change and provide a political homeland to the elderly. Collaborating with youth associations, representatives and delegates at all levels, other politicians, scientists and scientific associations must be devoted to helping the social market economy emerge, since it has recently proven itself as a stability factor during the recent financial and economic crisis. All citizens have the right to participate in social wealth in correspondence with their performance. Thereby, families deserve particularly strong attention. Originating in Christian responsibility and our “Magna Carta” of 2002, all member organisations of the European Senior Citizens’ Union must contribute to overcoming new challenges. Resignation will help no one. “May the mountain be so high – we will endeavour to ascend it”.

Austria has demonstrated that a federal “Senior Citizens’ Council” is absolutely suitable to preserve the interests of the elderly, continued Worms. The international audience listened with great interest to Prof. Dr. Khol explaining the manifold and unique function of the Austrian Senior Citizens’ Council” as a legal social partner. Prof. Dr. Khol chairing in turns with a member of Austrian Social Democratic Party the Austrian Senior Citizens’ Council is glad to report that 800,000 pensioner households are represented by them. If you had studied the “Suggestions, Experience and Examples…” presented by Heinz K. Becker for the workshop “Building up a Senior Citizens’ Organisation” you were not surprised that he brought up an “European Senior Citizens’ Council” before the panel, whereby discussing this vision will be continued at the Congress in Bad Honnef, Germany.

With Dr. Maria Rauch-Kallat, a retired and politically active businesswoman took the floor. She already joined the Austrian Senior Citizens’ Association at the age of 40 (!). As the deputy chairperson of the women’s organisation of the European People’s Party she passionately advocates recognition of women and senior citizens’ organisations by the respective parties since these represent the largest population groups.

1st Summer Academy of the ESCU for Senior citizens' leaders, Vienna, August 2010

Participants at the conference

A view to the conference hall with Prof. Khol at lectern

Opinions from the Member Countries
Carlo Fatuzzo (Italian Vice President of the European Senior Citizens’ Union) is convinced that the European People’s Party should “listen more carefully,” as he has been doing in his role as the chair of a pensioners’ party for years. After the Vienna event, he will “become active in every single village” and fight the isolation of the elderly.
Dr. Vaclav Roubal (Czech Vice President) emphasised the affiliation with the European People’s Party and announced an event in Prague, “Europe for Citizens – Citizens for Europe” where he will hold a speech. He regretted that despite intensive endeavours of his Christian-democratic senior citizens “there is no longer any Christian element represented in the Prague parliament”.
Dr. Marilies Flemming (Austrian Vice President, acting chair of the conference) presented major positions of the future programme of the European People’s Party on which she has been co-working on behalf of the European Senior Citizens' Union. The draft will be furnished to all member associations of the European Senior Citizens’ union. The statement on “values” in the Treaty of Lisbon should be adopted by everyone who identifies and regrets any violation of basic rights. Particularly essential are the right to life and the freedom of thought, conscience and faith. There is no room for forbidding the Bible, nor for stoning upon a change of faith, stated Ms. Flemming.
The Greek Vice President Maria Mantziafou-Kanellopoulou, advocated maintenance of ethical principles in everyday life, including politics. God “has become irrelevant and replaced with mammon”. She demanded better preparation of the citizens for their life as pensioners. Thanos Michael (President of Cypriot senior citizens) reinforced the statement of Malta to initiate a resolution of the European Senior Citizens’ Union on the Cyprus issue. It has been agreed that he will prepare a draft of such resolution as quickly as possible to be presented to the Congress for voting reflecting the significance of this topic. Michael wants to invite everybody to a regional conference in 2012 when Cyprus will be chairing the European Union.
Leif Hallberg (Vice President and chair of the Swedish Seniors’ Association of Christian Democratic Party) is concerned that we are not ready to face the fact that “half of people born in 2011 will reach an average age of 100 years”. As chair of a round-table discussion and reporter for the working group B (“How Christian are the European people’s parties?”) he referred to the strongly differing viewpoints requiring continuation of the discussion. All agreed that parties and churches are not identical in secularised society; parties may “base their politics on Christian values and consider humanistic and Jewish traditions”. Responding to An Hermans (chair of the Flanders Christian-Democratic Senior Citizens, Belgium) Hallberg welcomed their vote for essentially “European perception and conduct” as well as advocating of honorary commitment.
Ulrich Winz (Germany, press officer of the European Senior Citizens’ Union and coordinator of the East Region) reported on the experience of establishing the Senior Citizens’ Union of the Christian Democratic Union in the GDR in April 1990 and the nation-wide German union at the end of 1990. Boldness of action in Eastern Europe made the “Berlin Wall” fall bringing unity to the German nation. The peaceful revolutions of 1989/1990 were the trigger enabling ingenuous discussion on common problems in a nearly borderless Europe, just as now in Vienna. This remains a true miracle for him. On the current situation of the Senior Citizens’ Union Winz stated “As nearly everywhere, we also are lacking the 60 year old members who enrich us through their experience and assume responsibility.”
Zoltan Prenghy (Hungary, MDF Senior Citizens, Hungarian Democratic Forum) expressed his joy over the electoral victory of the conservative forces. “After eight year of socialistic misgovernment the senior citizens are no longer directly exposed to the economy and uncontrolled pricing”. This gives the Hungarian senior citizens’ associations new hope.

Dr. Nikolay Andreev, President of the Bulgarian SGERB, Senior Citizens’ Organisation of the GERB Political Party, and Jozef Miklosko, chair of the Christian Senior Citizens’ Organisation in the Slovak Republic gave us an insight into their manifold political commitment. In the meantime, many elderly citizens feel welcome in the European Senior Citizens' Union family. A regional conference will be held in Sofia in May 2011 according to Andreev.
Luc Vandeputte, the deputy General Secretary of the European People’s Party with office in Brussels has referred to the European Senior Citizens’ Union as the backbone of the EU. Its participation in the electoral programme of 2009 and preparing a conference on the social market economy deserves highest acknowledgment. For 2012 he announced a “Future Congress” which will pick up on the topics discussed by the European Senior Citizens’ Union and in particular on the issue of honorary activities. The congress will also cover the family situation and relationship to the churches. In a meeting with the President, Dr. Worms, Vandeputte has already promised strong financial participation of the European People’s Party in the costs of the Congress of the European Senior Citizens’ Union. In the view of this reporter, the long outstanding decision has finally been made.

1st Summer Academy of the ESCU for Senior citizens' leaders, Vienna, August 2010

Mesdames Zarina and Putnina (Latvia) as well as Tatyana Zelko (Belarus) (L to R)

The participants left Vienna with the certainty that their commitment remains indispensable and the community of European Senior Citizens’ Union represents the vital basis for successful political actions characterised by reciprocal respect and friendship.

Text and Photos: U. Winz