Institute for Central Europe
“We believe that it is time to awaken the potential that Central Europe has and turn it into a productive effort for the common good of the people from all corners of Europe.”
The world, Europe and Slovakia are standing on the verge of serious changes that will influence the lives of all of us. Climate change, exhaustion of the current economic model, changing lines of force in the global geopolitical environment, combined with new security challenges are shifting the perception of security and prosperity to whole new levels. They require a new degree of preparedness and policies not only from governments, but from all stakeholders in our societies.
We are facing a new era where those who will succeed will be the ones able to transform its challenges into opportunities. In ICE we are persuaded that if Slovakia wants to be among the successful ones in this story, it needs to be prepared not only on the national level by having policies anticipating the realities of the new era, but on the regional and European level as well, by coordinating policies within the central European region and actively shaping European policies, aiming to overcome the divisions that have separated eastern and western EU members during the recent years. We believe that it is time to wake the potential of central Europe and transform it into a productive effort to the benefit of all citizens of Europe.
The prerequisite for making good public policies on the national level is their accordance with the European context as well as a thorough public discussion. Hence, we aim to provide a forum for discussion and shaping public policies in order to make them comply with the requirements and pressures of the transformed world.
In our activities we are focusing on topics that tend to play a decisive role in shaping the future of Slovakia and Europe. We aim to combine our own research with the knowledge of both domestic and international experts in various areas. Our goal is to to help improve the decision-making process so that it is based on facts, sectoral analyses and expert discussion respecting a broader context of interdependences.
Articles
They said about us
“Nowadays no country in Europe can pretend to be able to solve problems on its own. Every important topic in Slovakia also has its European context. I believe that the activities of ICE will be a good contribution to the understanding and unity of Europe. I have known Martin for many years and I know how important it is for Europe to be strong in terms of security and for Slovakia to be a stable and reliable part of it.”
“With each European summit looking like a Shakespearian tragedy these days, bridging the gap between Western, Central and Eastern Europe has become a matter of survival for the European Union. In such a dire context, the birth of ICE is more welcome than ever. The Institute brings exactly what the intellectual and political debates in Europe desperately need at the moment: tools and materials to foster a better understanding across the continent.”
“The idea that European ideals would also prevail over national interests has long lived. Yet, the rise of nationalism and extremism across Europe threatens to shake the very foundations of the European project with every divisive topic on the leaders’ agenda. This is the reason why it is crucial to promote hubs where European values can be spread – without these, we’re abandoning the field to nationalists and extremists.”