EP, Brussels: Art. 17 Seminar on the importance of intergenerational dialogue - contribution by CROCEU GS
On Tuesday, December 10, 2024, the European Parliament in Brussels hosted the first Art. 17 TFEU Dialogue-Seminar following the European election of this year. The meeting was hosted by Mrs. Antonella SBERNA, the European Parliament Vice-President responsible for the dialogue with religious communities, and was focused on the importance of intergenerational dialogue in addressing Europe’s future challenges. Speakers included Rev. Fr. George VALCU, General Secretary of the Committee of Representatives of the Orthodox Churches to the European Union (CROCEU), who addressed the need for Europe to seriously address the current demographic crisis and explored the possibility to reevaluate the dynamics between younger and older generations through the lens of the multi-centuries experience of faith communities.
Delivering the introductory remarks, both Mrs. Roberta METSOLA, EP President, and Mrs. Antonella SBERNA, underscored the precious contribution of churches and other faith communities to European society and the need to further develop the institutional dialogue between them and EU bodies, especially in light of the unprecedented challenges Europe and the wider world are currently facing.
Also present at the event, Mr. Magnus BRUNNER, European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, acknowledged the significant work done by Church-related networks in bridging the gap between the various age groups present in our societies. He equally pointed to the EU Youth Policy Dialogue and to the Erasmus+ program, as well as to the fact that the European Commission currently has a member specifically working on inter-generational fairness, in the person of Mr. Glenn Micallef.
Addressing the attendees in the 2nd panel, under the title "Intergenerational Recollection: Learning from the Past to shape a Resilient Future", Rev. Fr. George VALCU, CROCEU General Secretary, began by underscoring that a strong, coherent and resilient relation between generations is not something to be achieved in a merely institutional manner, but rather a consequence of a culture that is centred on the unique value of the human person and cultivates close and consisted personal relations. Secondly, he emphasised the need for Europe to seriously address the extraordinary challenge of the “demographic winter” it currently finds itself in: "The notion – and the reality - of the family has to come again at the center-stage of European social cohesion and sustainable development policies. It is time for political actors at all levels to unreservedly follow suit, prioritising and encouraging family-friendly legislation and support for parents and caregivers, notwithstanding – of course - the need for EU bodies to respect the principle of subsidiarity when it comes to this field." Finally, Rev. Valcu talked about the need to reconsider the way in which we relate to our elderly, challenging the view that they are a burden to society and putting forth a primarily positive evaluation of this stage of life.
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