Capodistrias – Spinelli Today

European Union: disintegration or a new beginning? This is the question posed by the crisis we are living through, which has triggered so much speculation (!) over the fate of Greece. Ioannis Capodistrias, Altiero Spinelli: two emblematic personalities of pan-European stature marking two different phases of the course towards a united citizens’ Europe. Anyone who has visited the European Parliament will be well aware that Spinelli plays the same symbolic role for the political circles of the European Union as Capodistrias plays for the majority of Greeks who regard the establishment of the modern Hellenic state in 1828, at Aegina, as a historic advance not just for the citizens of this country but for Europe as a whole. Today in the midst of crisis the European Union seems vis-à-vis Greece and other EU member countries to be introducing policies that are extremely problematic for the peoples of Europe. Is it possible in this conjuncture for anyone to believe that the ideas of these two visionaries, Capodistrias and Spinelli, have any chance of influencing the reality of our days and opening new prospects for the European Union? Our three speakers will attempt to provide an answer to this. Andreas Koukos Andreas … Continue reading

Ukrainian participation in the Capodistrias-Spinelli-Europe conference

V.T.The Ukrainian Ambassador in Greece, Mr. Valerii Tsybukh, took part in the function programmed by the Municipality of Aegina for Ioannis Capodistrias. On Saturday 20th June 2009 the General Meeting of the members of the Capodistrian Cities Network was held on the premises of the Capodistrian Kyverneio of Aegina (Historical Archive). Participants in the network are the Greek cities of Aegina, Corfu, Nafplio, Famagusta in Cyprus and Koper-Capodistria in Slovenia. The General Meeting was inaugurated with a performance by the ANIMA string quartet. Subjects discussed during the meeting included further expansion of the network following assumption of the presidency by Aegina, the entry of new members, participation in activities and actions such as the European Programmes. The second part of the function also had a musical introduction in the auditorium of the Hotel Danae, again with the ANIMA quartet, followed by speeches of welcome from the mayor of Aegina Panagiotis Koukoulis and addresses by Georgios Tsatiris, President of the Aegina Council, on the subject of the Capodistrias Cities’ Network, by Andreas Koukos, historical researcher, on the subject of the Congress of Aix-la-Chapelle (1818) – “The European vision of Capodistrias”, by Nikolaos Kourkoumelos, Doctor of Contemporary History, on “From Secretary of the Septinsular Republic to the Congress of Vienna”, by Vassia Tsokopoulou, Historian, on the subject of “The General Interest of Europe – Ioannis Capodistrias as Mediator”, by Alexis Krauss on the subject of “Citizens’ Europe”, by Panos Trigazis, economist, on the subject of “Capodistrias-Spinelli, the stages of European Integration” and Ioannis Coccalas Deputy Director of Athens Office of the European Parliament on “From Altiero Spinelli’s Draft Treaty to the Treaty of Lisbon”. See a videoed extract here.

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