Speakers Civil Society Week 2025

Oliver Röpke was elected President of the EESC in April 2023. Member of the EESC since2009, Mr Röpke was president of the EESC's Workers' Group, member of the EESC Bureau, and rapporteur of many EESC resolutions and opinions on employment and social policy, the single market and innovation. Mr Röpke headed the Brussels office of the Austrian Trade Union Federation (ÖGB) and took on several senior positions, including representative of ÖGB to the EU institutions and to the executive committee of the ETUC, and advisorymember of the ÖGB federal executive board. Mr Röpke has a legal background and holds a law degree from the University of Vienna.

As Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, Ms Henna Virkkunen is tasked with combatting the increasingly complex security threats facing the EU, whilst at the same time strengthening our external borders and our internal security. This goes hand in hand with her responsibility to ensure our freedoms, justice and democracy are strengthened too.

Furthermore, she is responsible for the Digital and Frontier Technologies portfolio. This entails leading Europe’s efforts in shaping a competitive, resilient and inclusive digital future and maintaining or attaining leadership in strategic digital technologies.

Prior to joining the European Commission Ms Virkkunen served as a Member of the European Parliament for over ten years. As a Member of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy her work focused on digitalisation, research and frontier technologies.

Ms Virkkunen has held various ministerial positions in Finland, namely Minister of Transport and Local Government (2014), Minister of Public Administration and Local Government (2011-2014) as well as Minister of Education and Science (2008-2011).

Dr. Katarina Barley has been a Member of the European Parliament and one of its Vice-Presidents since 2019. She serves on the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection and is a Substitute Member of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice, and Home Affairs. She was the lead candidate for her party, the SPD, in the European elections of May 2019 and June 2024.

Prior to her tenure in the European Parliament, she was a Member of the German Bundestag from 2013 to 2019, during which she held several key positions, including SPD Secretary General, Federal Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women, and Youth, Acting Federal Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, and Federal Minister of Justice and Consumer Protection.

Before entering politics, she worked as a lawyer, a research assistant at the Federal Constitutional Court, and a judge at both the Trier Regional Court and the Wittlich Local Court.

Her political priorities include consumer protection, social justice, democracy, the rule of law, and a strong social Europe. 

Maroš Šefčovič is a Slovak diplomat, who since 1 December 2019 has served as Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight. In this capacity, he leads the Commission’s work on interinstitutional relations, better policymaking, strategic foresight and the European Battery Alliance. He is also responsible for the European Union’s relations with the United Kingdom, co-chairing the EU-UK Partnership Council under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement and the EU-UK Joint Committee for the implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement.

European affairs have been at the centre of Mr Šefčovič's career for over a decade. In 2014, he was elected as a Member of the European Parliament. From 2010-2019, he was Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of first Interinstitutional Relations and Administration, and then the Energy Union. In 2009-2010, he was European Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth. From 2004 -2009, he was the Permanent Representative of the Slovak Republic to the European Union, contributing to the country's major integration projects, such as its entry to the Eurozone and the Schengen area. As a diplomat by profession, he served between 1992 and 2004 in Zimbabwe and Canada and as Ambassador to Israel.

He graduated from the University of Economy in Bratislava, Slovakia, and the Moscow State Institute for Foreign Relations. He holds a degree as Doctor of Law and a PhD of European Law from Faculty of Law at the Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia. He also undertook training in diplomacy at Stanford University, USA.

He wrote a book "Driving the EU forward – talks with Maroš Šefčovič", focused on his first mandate as the Commission Vice-President. In 2018, he was awarded the title of Doctor Honoris Causa at the Pan-European University in Bratislava, Slovakia.

Aurel Laurenţiu Plosceanu is the EESC Vice-President for Communication. Previously, he was President of the EESC’s Section for Employment, Social Affairs and Citizenship. He has been a member of the EESC and its Employers’ Group since 2007, and over the years has been involved in activities across all EESC sections. In 2016, Mr Plosceanu became Vice-President of UGIR – the General Union of Romanian Industrialists. Since 2007, he has been President of ARACO – the Romanian Association of Building Contractors, and since 2024, the Vice-President of FIEC – the European Federation of Construction Industries. Mr Plosceanu has technical, economic, law and defence qualifications.

Séamus Boland has been the President of the EESC's Civil Society Organisations' Group since October 2020. His policy and political interests include the eradication of poverty, social exclusion and inequality. In addition to the Group presidency, he holds several other roles outside the EESC. He has been CEO of Irish Rural Link since 2001, a Board Member of Inland Fisheries Ireland since 2018 and Chair of Peatlands Council since 2012. Mr Boland is a farmer and has worked in civil society for over 40 years, including with young people, ethnic minorities, people with disabilities and people living in rural isolation. From 2007 to 2013, he was a member of the first Press Council of Ireland. He is a trained Speech and Drama Educator.

Isabelle Le Galo Flores is the Secretary-General of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC).

Ms Le Galo Flores is an expert in communication, corporate social responsibility and sustainability, with a strong focus on empowerment strategies both within and outside the organisations she has led.

Her background in mathematical engineering and political sciences, gained at Science Po Paris, led her into fields such as medicine, sustainable food systems, diversity, intergenerational justice, and youth development.

Teresa Anjinho was sworn in as European Ombudsman on 27 February 2025, following her election by the European Parliament in December 2024. As European Ombudsman, she is responsible for investigating maladministration within the institutions, bodies, offices, and agencies of the European Union.

From 2022 to 2025, Ms Anjinho served as a Member of the Supervisory Committee of the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF). She previously held the positions of Deputy Ombudsperson of Portugal (2017-2022), Secretary of State for Justice in the Portuguese Government (2015), and Member of Parliament in Portugal (2011-2015).

Ms Anjinho is a lawyer, an independent human rights expert, and an academic specialising in public international law, gender, and equality. She has lectured at the NOVA School of Law and at the Ius Gentium Conimbrigae Institute of the University of Coimbra. She has also published several scientific papers.

I am Mădălina Mihaela Antoci, a 21-year-old youth leader passionate about education, civic engagement, and youth empowerment. I currently serve as the President of Erasmus Student Network Moldova and as a board member of the National Youth Council of Moldova.

Over the past two years, I have worked tirelessly to promote the Erasmus+ academic program, achieving remarkable results in encouraging young people to explore international opportunities while also valuing education at home. Through my initiatives, I have inspired hundreds of students to engage in academic mobility and contribute actively to their local communities.

Attending international events allows me to exchange best practices, advocate for Moldovan youth, and contribute to shaping a future where education, mobility, and civic engagement are key pillars of progress. I strongly believe in the role of young people in the European integration process and remain committed to fostering opportunities that empower them to build a better tomorrow.

Maite Arrondo Segovia is an expert in innovation in housing policies. She holds a degree in Political Science and Public Administration from the Complutense University of Madrid and a Master’s degree in Human Rights and Democratization from the European Inter University Centre of Human Rights and Democratization. She has focused her career on promoting access to affordable housing and defending social rights.

From 2016 to 2023, she worked as a consultant at the Housing and Rehabilitation Institute of the Barcelona City Council, where she coordinated and supported various European networks and forums related to housing, social inclusion, and social rights. During this period, she organized workshops and international meetings, notably contributing to the "Network of Cities for Collaborative Housing." In September 2023, she assumed the position of Director General of Housing for the Government of Navarra, a role she left for personal reasons in September 2024. During her tenure, she promoted comprehensive regulation of collaborative housing in the region, participated in European meetings, and advanced policies for affordable housing.

In the later years, Arrondo has collaborated with homeless organizations such as the HOGARSÍ Foundation and San Juan de Dios Valencia, supporting international agendas on homelessness, and has participated in European Commission projects related to the right to adequate housing. She has also contributed to academic publications, including the article "Comparative Analysis of Real Estate Models in Europe."   In addition to her professional experience, Arrondo collaborates with organizations such as the Association for Local Democracies (ALDA) or as Expert of the Urbact Programme focused on territorial cooperation through sustainable and integrated urban development by enabling cities to work together to address common challenges

Flavio Avy Candeli is Creative Director of Associazione Luca Coscioni focusing in Italy on the right to science and civil liberties.

Graduated in Copywriting in 2000, he transitioned from advertising and communication to full advocacy work in 2020.

Since 2012, Candeli has been involved in thought provoking campaigns, developing communication strategies and viral rewarded videos for Assisted Dying and Legal Cannabis campaigns. His work supported key legal changes, including the campaign of Fabiano Antoniani with the civil disobedience of Marco Cappato in 2017, which influenced Italy's voluntary end-of-life regulations.

In 2021 he assisted in the Legal Euthanasia Referendum, to "be free until the very end", helping collect over 1.2 million signatures.

Candeli as an activist has worked on various social initiatives, including the "StopGlobalWarming" campaign and the PsychedeliCare European Citizens' Initiative, promoting scientific research on psychedelic-assisted therapies. His professional approach centers on using communication and storytelling to address complex social and ethical issues, bridging advocacy with strategic media engagement.

Albena Azmanova is a writer, scholar and political commentator whose work on economic insecurity, the rise of populism, and the erosion of the rule of law has received numerous international awards. She is currently Professor of Political and Social Science at City Saint George’s University of London and Senior Fellow at OSUN's Economic Democracy Initiative at Bard College, New York, among other advisory positions in academic and policy institutions. She is founder and co-editor of Emancipations: a Journal of Critical Social Analysis and co-director of the Radical Critical Theory Circle

Tatjana Babrauskiene has been a member of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) since 2015.  

She was the EESC rapporteur of several opinions, amongst which:  EESC opinion on Digital skills and education package (SOC/774), EESC opinion on Harnessing talents in EU regions (ECO/610), EESC opinion on the European Year of Skills 2023 (SOC/749), EESC opinion on Blended learning (SOC/701), EESC opinion on Empowering youth to achieve sustainable development through education (NAT/860), EESC opinion on the Higher education package (SOC/715 ), EESC opinion on Adult learning (SOC/684), EESC opinion on Promoting skills for a more just, cohesive, sustainable, digital and resilient society (SOC/663), EESC opinion on an Updated skills agenda (SOC/637), EESC opinion Towards an EU strategy for enhancing green skills and competences for all (SOC/636), EESC opinion on Sustainable funding for lifelong learning and development of skills, in the context of a shortage of skilled labour (SOC/629). 

At national level, Tatjana is the Head of International relations of Lithuanian Education and Science Trade Union (LESTU) and an expert of the Lithuanian Trade Union Confederation (LPSK) in the field of VET, CVET and HE. She has long experience in advocating for adult education and lifelong learning at the European level, including as a member of the European Commission's Advisory Committee on Vocational Education and Training (ACVT) and Cedefop. In 2010, when the European Social Dialogue in Education was established, she was appointed Lithuanian delegate of the Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for the Education sector  (ESSDE). She is also a representative of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and the European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE) in three European Commission working groups on education: adult learning, VET and school education. 

Vesna Bajšanski-Agić serves at TechSoup, a nonprofit social enterprise leading a global network of CSOs, ensuring that they effectively leverage data, technology, and digital skills. TechSoup served over 1.4M CSOs in 234 countries with over 20 billion Euros in technology and financial resources. 

She is also a consultant for the Rockefeller Brothers Fund for the Western Balkans, a former member of the Board at Philea, an Assembly President at the Philanthropy Forum in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and a Board member in several CSOs in the Balkans. Before joining TechSoup, she was Executive Director at the Mozaik Foundation, for 15 years.

Carsten Berg is the Director of ECI e.V. and The ECI Campaign. In 2002/03 he successfully campaigned for the introduction of the ECI into EU primary law during the Constitutional Convention on the Future of Europe. Today he advises ongoing and future ECIs through the independent ECI Help Desk provided by The ECI Campaign. At the same time, he co-ordinates advocacy work on ECI reform and publishes regularly on the future of transnational democracy. He has worked as an advisor to the European Parliament on ECI issues, as campaigner in successful ECIs and wrote his doctoral thesis on the impact of the ECI on EU democratization between 2012 and 2022. Moreover, he has been co-designing the world’s first permanent randomly selected citizens’ assembly in East Belgium. In parallel to his long-standing involvement with The ECI Campaign, he works at the European University Institute in Florence on the whole field of transnational democratic innovations, including randomly selected citizens' assemblies, citizens-initiated vote processes and the ECI.

Dirk Bergrath is a prominent figure in European labor relations, currently serving as the head of the EU Liaison Office for IG Metall, Europe's largest trade union with over 2.2 million members. In this capacity, he represents the union's interests within European institutions, advocating for workers' rights and industrial policies. Since 2014, he has been a member of the EESC, actively participating in the Section for Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment (NAT) and the Section for the Single Market, Production and Consumption (INT). His career includes significant roles within the German Permanent Representation to the EU, the international department of IG Metall, and the European Metalworkers’ Federation. Since opening IG Metall’s Brussels office in 2014, Bergrath has been a key player in representing and advocating for workers’ rights at the European level.

Paola Cervo coordinates the support to civil society organisations through the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) and Justice funding programmes at the European Commission's Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers (DG JUST). In her role, she also oversees the design of the CERV calls for proposal for civil society organisations active on protecting and promoting Union values. Paola joined DG JUST in 2023 after having previously worked with public institutions, international and non-governmental organisations across Europe, Africa and Latin America

Lana Čop is a member of the Institute 8 March, a movement-building organization that uses storytelling and advocacy to confront gender and economic inequalities across Slovenia. She is one of the international advocacy coordinators for the My Voice, My Choice campaign, an ECI advocating for safe and accessible abortion across Europe. With experience in international organizations in Belgium and France, Lana has previously worked at the Council of Europe and the European Youth Forum, focusing on youth mobilization, climate action, and civil society engagement.

Natalia Corbalán Romera holds a degree in Law from the University of Murcia. 

She spent her early career practicing law and has extensive experience in civil and tax law. Subsequently, she carried out legal consulting work for the Rural Economy Diversification Service of the Regional Ministry of Water, Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Environment of the Region of Murcia, delving into the field of the EAFRD Funds and the Regional Rural Development Program (RDP 2014-2020), where she promotes LEADER projects for rural development and specializes in services as an innovation agent for Measure 16.1, consisting of the formation and management of operational groups in the field of agricultural and forestry sustainability. 

She has been a consultant in the areas of corporate communications management, CSR, and institutional relations for the international civil and environmental engineering consulting firm Grupo Elsamex. Subsequently, she carried out legal consulting work for the Rural Economy Diversification Service of the Ministry of Water, Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Environment of the Region of Murcia, delving into the scope of the EAFRD Funds

Attila Dabis is a political scientist and civil-society actor, holding a PhD in international relations, based in Budapest, Hungary.  He has served as the Szekler National Council's Foreign Affairs Commissioner since 2012. Between 2016 - 2022 he was the International Coordinator of the Institute for the Protection of Minority Rights. As of 2022, he started working as an AI Expert and Academic Writing Consultant at the Corvinus University of Budapest. Additionally, he is the founder and co-editor-in-chief of the academic journal Minority Protection. He is the substitute representative of the European Citizens' Initiative entitled: "Cohesion policy for the equality of the regions and sustainability of the regional cultures"

Costin Dedu - I am Vice-President of Volonteurope and the lead Organiser of this ECI. With over 20 years of experience as a teacher, youth worker, and project manager, I lead Imago Mundi, a Romanian youth organisation, and work as an EU funding expert for Radio Romania.

“Ancora Imparo, attributed to Michelangelo, I think, is my favourite quote: ‘I am still learning.’ It’s something I think I will say up to my last day. Water, for me, is life and health—the power force of life and the medium from which life emerged. It’s both impersonal and a source of emotion and feelings as well when I relate to it!”

Benjamin De Moor has extensive experience in visual communication and public engagement. He brings a unique blend of creativity and strategic thinking to the table. Over his career, he has refined his skills in crafting compelling narratives, designing impactful visuals, and driving change through collaborative campaigns.

At the European Youth Forum, Benjamin leads the communication team that works to raise the voice of young people in Europe, standing up for their rights and striving to create societies where young people are empowered and motivated to achieve their full potential as global citizens.

Passionate about making a tangible impact through creative strategies, Benjamin is committed to leveraging the power of storytelling and design to inspire change. Whether working on global campaigns or supporting local initiatives, he thrives in connecting with people and inspiring collaboration toward shared goals.

Lars Ebert is the Secretary-General of Culture Action Europe, a European network of cultural organisations, artists, activists, academics and policymakers.

During his previous engagements as co-director of the cultural centre H401 in Amsterdam and deputy director of The European League of Institutes of the Arts, Lars has developed a specific interest and experience in participatory practices and art-based research, that fuel his belief in the transformative role of culture for sustainable societies. He holds a postgraduate degree in theology, has taught cultural management and leadership, is a frequent speaker and facilitator, publishes regularly and serves on the board of various organisations in the areas of culture, education and research.

Petros has been the Secretary General of the European Movement International since July 2015. Previously Petros headed the European Movement UK. During his 10 years in the UK Petros also worked as ACCA’s Head of Public Affairs – Europe, as EU Affairs Adviser at the UK’s Financial Services Authority and before that as EU Affairs Adviser at the UK Parliament.

During his first stint in Brussels, Petros worked for the European Commission and the Committee of the Regions, as well as in advocacy and lobbying.

Petros frequently writes about and comments on EU issues and has featured on BBC News, CNN, Bloomberg, Al Jazeera, as well as the Guardian, Le Soir, El Pais, Ta Nea, Der Spiegel, Euractiv, Politico Europe among others.

He holds a BSc (Econ) on International Politics and Europe from the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, and an MSc on European Economics, Politics and Law from the London School of Economics.

Wim Gabriels is the Director of the Erasmus Student Network, a Europe-wide student organisation and  the largest student organisation in Europe, focusing on student mobility and internationalisation of higher education. Wim has built extensive knowledge on non-EU projects and programmes and built global awareness of European higher education. Active in the field of Diversity and Inclusion and Community Engagement, Wim strives to make Internationalisation of Education contribute to society.

Mattéo Garguilo is a 21-year-old Human Rights and LGBTI+ activist. Since 2023, he has been appointed co-president of the French organization ACT (Against Conversion Therapy) in order to set up a European campaign against these practices. Indeed, he is now the representative of the European Citizens’ Initiative for a “Ban on conversion practices in the EU” launched on May 17^th, 2024. Coordinating this campaign with the support of over 200 LGBTI+ and Human Rights organizations based in 17 EU Member states. Outside of his advocacy work, Mattéo is also a full-time student at Sciences Po Lyon and is currently doing an ERASMUS exchange at the Law Faculty of Comillas in Madrid.

Olaf Grawert plans, writes, and talks about architecture. His work focuses on the Poetics and Politics of Space: the political and economic conditions, as well as the imaginaries and narratives that shape the built environment. Collaborating with a network of individuals and institutions across Europe, he develops projects that bridge theory and practice, including building design, campaigns, exhibitions, films, publications, and teaching.

He is a founding partner at the collaborative design practice b+ (bplus.xyz), which focuses on the adaptive reuse of existing buildings. He is the co-initiator and campaign manager at HouseEurope! (houseeurope.eu), a non-profit policy lab and European Citizens' Initiative for the renovation and against the demolition of existing buildings.

Thomas Hieber is an attorney specialized in EU law. He is engaged with the topic of the European Citizens' Initiative for more than 15 years. In his PhD thesis and a number of other publications, he has dealt extensively with the legal aspects of the European Citizens' Initiative. He also advises numerous ECI organisers in all relevant matters and has been involved in several ECI-related cases before the Court of Justice of the European Union.

Shada Islam is a Brussels-based EU analyst and commentator who is a leading expert on EU Foreign, Security, Trade and Development Policy as well as Racism, Diversity and Inclusion. She runs her own global strategy company, New Horizons Project, is a Senior Advisor at several think tanks, including the European Policy Centre and is also Visiting Professor at the College of Europe (Natolin Campus). She contributes to several international publications including EUObserver, the Guardian and East Asia Forum. In 2017, Politico identified her as one of Brussels' 20 most influential women. She is the winner of the European of the Year in Media award accorded by the European Movement International and has also received a prize for her work on building an inclusive Union of Equality from the Association of European Journalists of Catalonia.

Violeta Jelić is a Member of the European Economic Social Committee since 2013. Since 2015 until today she serves as the EESC Employers' Group Vice-President and in 2023 she was appointed President of the EESC´s Ad hoc Group on the European Citizens´ Initiative.

In the Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts, which represents the interests of small and medium-sized entrepreneurs, she is for 14 years. For the last 11 years she in the position of advisor for International cooperation and EU, and also in position of general Secretary of the Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts.

From 2000 to 2009, she gained experience working with international humanitarian organizations, associations and civil society. Also, she is a professor of sociology and actively participates in several local associations with a focus on social issues.

Bruno Kaufmann - Global Democracy Correspondent at the Swiss Broadcasting Company

As a political scientist Bruno has published widely on participatory and direct democracy - and the European Citizens' Initiative including the “European Democracy Passport” published by the EESC.

He is the author of the European Democracy Passport and the Global Passport to Modern Direct Democracy. He has served in local government both in Switzerland and Sweden, where he was the City Councillor for Democracy in Falun. 

Bruno is the Founder of the Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy and chairs the International Expert Jury for the “European Capital of Democracy” title.  He serves as the Director of International Cooperation at the Swiss Democracy Foundation. He lives with his family in Arboga, where the first Swedish Parliament was established in 1435.

David Knight is a dual Irish/British national, born in the UK and trained as a journalist, becoming a reporter in South Yorkshire before moving to Germany and working as a writer, editor and communications consultant specialising in startup companies. After moving to Belgium in 2015, he joined the European Commission in the Spokesperson’s Service before becoming Communications Adviser in the Cabinet of Sir Julian King. After a stint in DG Justice, he joined the Cabinet of Maroš Šefčovič in 2020, where his duties now include speechwriting and publications for the Commissioner as well as policy responsibilities such as European Citizens’ Initiatives, the Commission Work Programme, EU Agencies and trade issues around the Western Balkans and Moldova.

Anne Kraus is a speech pathologist with a vision of a world guided by the principles of inclusion and solidarity. She has extensive experience as a volunteer with CISV International and its multicultural peace education programmes, which aim to “educate and inspire action for a more just and peaceful world”, including raising awareness of sustainable life choices.

Since 2013, she has been actively involved in the INGO Conference of the Council of Europe, advocating for human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. She is also a member of the Luxembourg National Justice Council (CNJ). In addition to her professional and advocacy work, she volunteers in several projects, such as enhancing health services through patient-professional partnerships, supporting unaccompanied young people in developing their language skills in cooperation with

Baiba Miltoviča has been President of the Transport, Energy, Infrastructure and Information Society (TEN) Section of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) since 2020.

She also co-operates with the European Consumer Organisation and DG Justice and Consumers and is a member of the European Consumer Consultative Group of the European Commission. Additionally, Ms. Miltoviča is a Board Member of the Latvian National Association for Consumer Protection sits on the Advisory Board of the Latvian Public Utilities Commission.

Previously, she was Vice-President of the EESC’s Diversity Europe Group and a member of the EESC’s Single Market, Production and Consumption (INT) Section; Economic and Monetary Union and Economic and Social Cohesion (ECO) Section and Transport, Energy, Infrastructure and Information Society (TEN) Section.

Veronika Móra has been working at Ökotárs-Hungarian Environmental Partnership Foundation since 1997 and holds the position of the director since 2007. Earlier, she was the national consultant for the Dutch Foundation Milieukontakt Oosteuropa, but also worked for the eco-counselling office of Ecoservice Foundation. With HEPF and earlier, she’s been working on a variety of issues related to ecological consumption, gene technologies and public participation. Since 2003 she’s been leading HEPF’s Civil Partner program aiming to improve the legal-fiscal environment of civil society, but she also gained experience in managing and overseeing grant programs of various sizes, not least the Hungarian NGO Fund under the EEA/Norwegian Financial Grants and the EU-funded Our Union Values Programme.

Besides her full time occupation she also has voluntary positions in a number of NGOs, among them the chairmanship of the Hungarian Donors Forum and since 2023 she’s co-president of the European Civic Forum. She is a biologist (MSc) by education, but also has a MA degree in organisational psychology, and more recently gained a diploma in environmental law. 

Helga Možé - Director, Foundation for Partnership and Civil Society Development Istria, Croatia

I am a visionary economist and community leader dedicated to fostering sustainable development and empowerment in the Region of Istria, Croatia. With over 25 years of experience across the private, public, and civil sectors, I leverage my expertise to drive positive change and innovation. Since 2009, I have been involved in developing and implementing EU projects, and I am passionate about empowering local communities through workshops and training sessions. My work includes creating Local Development Strategies, Youth Programs, and Sectoral Strategies, and I am currently pursuing doctoral research at the University of Pula, focusing on the role of philanthropy and social responsibility in local community development. In addition to my professional work, I have launched successful business ventures, and I continue to nurture entrepreneurship and resilience within the community.

Established in 2006 by the Istrian Region, the Foundation for Partnership and Civil Society Development (Foundation Istria) is the regional hub for promoting international and cross-sectoral cooperation within the non-profit sector. The Foundation not only offers funding but also builds the capacity of non-profit organization, fostering a culture of cooperation and community involvement.

Adriana Mungiu is policy officer in the team managing the European Citizens’ Initiative at the European Commission’s Secretariat General. She has been coordinating the development of a toolkit for high schools built around the ECI and enabling young people to become active EU citizens. She has also been steering the communication campaign on the ECI, aiming at making the European Citizens’ Initiative better known among citizens and at empowering multipliers to bring the ECI close to citizens. Previously she held coordinating roles in the area of communication at the EU level and in Romania, dealing with citizen engagement in EU policy-making, EU enlargement and structural funds. 

Vasiliki Mustakis is the Participatory Democracy Manager of the European Democracy team at the European Citizen Action Service (ECAS). Vasiliki has been working on the European Citizens’ Initiative Forum for two and a half years, implementing all tasks and monitoring the platform, including managing the website restructuring of the platform in the past year and maintaining relationships with ECI organisers on behalf of and under contract with the European Commission. During her studies, Vasiliki conducted research on European civic identity, specifically the effect of the Euro on this identity. She holds a Master’s Degree in European Politics and Policy (University Collection London, London) and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Government and Economics (Smith College, USA).

Bogomil Nikolov is the Vice President of the Economic and Social Council of the Republic of Bulgaria (ESC BG) and the Executive Director of the Bulgarian Active Consumers Association.

He holds a PhD in Economics from the University of National and World Economy (UNWE) and a Master’s degree in Political Science and Business Administration from Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" in Bulgaria and Erasmus University Rotterdam in the Netherlands.

Mr. Nikolov is a member of the European Economic and Social Committee, and the National Council for Consumer Protection.

A member of ESC BG since its establishment in 2003, he has served as its Vice President since 2021.

Younous Omarjee is born in 1969 in Saint-Denis of La Reunion. He is a Member of the European Parliament since 2012, re-elected in the 2014, 2019 and 2024 European elections. He was the chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Regional Development between 2019 and 2024, besides being a member of the Budget and Budgetary Control Committees.
In 2024 he is elected Vice-President of the European Parliament, with responsibilities notably on the relations with the European Committee of the Regions and the European Economic and Social Committee, for contacts with local and regional authorities, as well as for relations with Africa, the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), the EU Islands, Outermost regions, Overseas Countries and Territories and the Small Island Developing States.

Younous Omarjee sits within the group of The Left in the European Parliament (GUE-NGL), and is part of the French delegation of the France Insoumise movement.

Concerning the theme of his intervention, it is quite difficult to point to specificities as he tends to improvise his speeches, but I'll try to get a feedback from him today on a specific topic he could answer on.

Sandra Parthie, Head of Brussels Office/ Head of European Affairs of the German Economic Institute (IW Köln) and president of the EESC’s Section on the Internal Market, Production and Consumption (INT).

Sandra studied political sciences and economics at the Freie Universität in Berlin, Germany and the Université de Montréal, Canada. 

From 2006-2011 she was the head of office and political advisor to a German Member of the European Parliament and Chair of the Environment Committee. Her work focus was on environment, climate and energy policy. In 2011 she joined French-multinational company Alstom as the Director for EU Regulatory Affairs, with a focus on renewable energies and grid technology. 

Since March 2015 she leads the Brussels Liaison office for private German economic think tank ‘IW’ (Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft/ German Economic Institute) focusing on the EU’s economic policies.

Krzysztof has been a member of the EESC since 21 September 2006, and from 2008 to 2010 he served as president of the ECO Section (Section for Economic and Monetary Union and Social Cohesion). He also served as the President of the EESC's Labour Market Observatory (in 2010-2012 and 2017-2020). In the past he has held several positions in the Polish public administration, including in the Ministry of International Economic Relations and Ministry of State Treasury. In the 90s he was one of the leaders of the team working on the Polish pension system reform. He also served as the Member of the Government - Minister of Social Policy. He works currently as the Permanent Advisor to the Polish Parliament Petition Commission. He is an active member of the Polish Scouting and Guiding Association (ZHP), now he is the President of this Organisation

Fabian Pescher is a senior adviser to Vice-President Katarina Barley. Previously, he worked as an assistant to a Member of the European Parliament (MEP), in the Directorate-General for the Presidency of the European Parliament, and at the German Foreign Office. During Germany's Presidency of the Council in 2020, he served as Germany's delegate in the General Affairs Group and as a Council negotiator in the technical negotiations on the EU Transparency Register. He holds a degree in political science from Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich and studied European law at Saarland University.

Cristian Pîrvulescu, member of the European Economic and Social Committee since 2007, is the President of the EESC Study Group on Immigration and Integration. He is the Honorary president of the Pro Democrația association (APD); member of the Board of Directors of Step by Step; Dean of the Faculty of Political Science at the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration.

Stéphanie Poppe was a representative and one of the organisers of the European citizens’ initiative ‘Ensuring a dignified reception of migrants in Europe’.  Stéphanie is currently the Europe policy officer at the International and Europe Department of the City of Rennes. Stéphanie also holds a PhD in European Law from Université de Rennes.

Armel Prieur, former HR responsible at the Council of the EU in Brussels, specialising in training and recruitment, after a career in French industry and farming experience. Post-graduate diploma (DEA) in economics from IAE Poitiers. President since 2018 of the association for low-carbon employment https://www.escape-jobs.fr and co-leader of the alliance for the carbon account, which aims to guarantee a return to climate equilibrium through a melting carbon currency distributed to all citizens to stimulate businesses.

Author of the manifesto Compter (TheBookEdition 2024) and the novel Satis (Geste, 2023).

Leader in 2025 of the Air Quotas campaign to get the European Commission to introduce a carbon account to guarantee planetary balance.

Adriana Porowska is a Polish social and political activist, specializing in civil society issues.

She is an experienced social worker who has been committed to help marginalized individuals and refugees for many years. In her role of the president of the board of the Camillian Mission for Social Assistance (CMSA), she managed a shelter for people experiencing homelessness and war refugees from Ukraine. As a leader of the CMSA, she has developed an innovative system of supported housing units for beneficiaries in the social reintegration process, on their way out of homelessness.

For over 19 years, she has been working actively with civil society organisations, local and municipal authorities and national administration. Her roles included: co-chairing the Expert Commission on Combating Homelessness within the structure of the Citizen Ombudsman Office; serving as a member of the Ombudsman's Social Council and chairing the Sectoral Social Dialogue Commission on Homelessness under the City of Warsaw Office.

In 2024 she served as Deputy Mayor of Warsaw, responsible for social affairs, public communication and cooperation with non-governmental organizations. She is also a board member of the “Institute of Strategies for 2050” and a social policy advisor to the Szymon Hołownia, Marshal of the Polish Parliament (Sejm).

Sebastian Rodriguez, Campaign strategist

After the Brexit referendum, I quit my job in the City of London and started my own company, aiming to help pro-European organisations achieve their goals. I became the trusted advisor of Europe's largest campaigns and organisations.

I currently run campaignplaybook.eu, the community of pro-European campaign professionals who are writing the playbook to win campaigns

Koen Roovers is an inquiries officer in the Office of the European Ombudsman, a role he has held since September 2016. As part of the strategic inquiries team, he focuses on inquiries and initiatives that are aimed at driving structural improvements within the EU administration. Prior to joining the Ombudsman, Koen accumulated over 10 years of experience in EU decision-making processes and policies, both within and outside of EU institutions. He holds a master's degree in International Organisations and International Relations from the University of Groningen.

Piotr's leadership is defined by an unwavering commitment to European values. He has over 15 years of experience advocating for social justice on behalf of organised civil society in critical dialogues with political institutions, social partners and business in Europe. He is the Secretary General of Volonteurope, as well as Vice President of Lifelong Learning Platform, Board Member of Civil Society Europe, and Vice President of the Conference of INGOs in the Council of Europe, with a particular remit on safeguarding social rights. He is also former President of Social Platform, and stood as a candidate from PSOE in Spain in the 2024 European Parliament Elections.

An ardent advocate for the intersection of human rights and social justice, Piotr has consistently mobilised citizens to shape policies that matter. He currently plays a central role in organising the European Citizens’ Initiative for a Water-Smart and Resilient Europe, an endeavour that vividly illustrates the power of grassroots engagement in driving sustainable, people-centred change.

At Civil Society Week 2025, Piotr will moderate the session “Charting Europe’s Course: Reconnecting Polarised Societies through Community Learning and Citizenship Education,” a dialogue set to explore innovative, community-driven solutions to bridge societal divides.

Proudly identifying as a European and an active member of the LGBTQIA+ community, his personal and professional journey stands as a powerful testament to the transformative potential of participatory democracy in building resilient, inclusive societies.

Sabine Saliba is the Secretary general of Eurochild, a membership network of organisations and individuals working WITH and FOR children throughout Europe. Eurochild’s work is underpinned by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). She works in the field of children's rights, armed conflict, peacebuilding and human rights. Recently, she served as the Executive Director of ACT for the Disappeared, a Lebanese human rights organization. Sabine has been working on human rights for over 19 years, including 15 years on children's rights, in Lebanon, the Middle East and internationally with the London based Child Rights International Network (CRIN), Save the Children and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Geneva. She has worked as a consultant for various institutions including Parliamentarians for Global Action and Small Arms Survey. She holds a Law degree and an MA in International Law.

Since September 2023, Franca Salis-Madinier has been a member of the French Interministerial Commission on AI, which submitted a report to the government in March 2024 on AI and generative AI.

She is a member of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and Vice-President of its Workers' Group and SOC section. She is employee at Orange Telecom and National Secretary of the Cadres Confédération Française démocratique du Travail, first Trade Union in France.

She is the author of the book ‘Guide de l'intelligence artificielle au travail/ Vos droits face aux algorithmes’, published in January 2022 by Edition Eyrolles, Paris.

Szabolcs Schmidt graduated from the Budapest University of Economic Sciences with a specialisation in external economic relations. Before joining permanently the European Commission services, he accumulated professional and managerial experience both in the corporate and in the public sector with postings in Germany, Hungary, and Poland where he got engaged at an early stage with the European reunification process and the preparations for the 2004 enlargement of the European Union. Within the European Commission services, he worked in the areas of external and enlargement policies, cohesion policy and transport policy. Since 2017 he holds the position of Head of Unit that is responsible for anti-racism and for Roma coordination of the European Commission. In this function he is responsible for ensuring the appropriate implementation of the European Union's legislation in the area of equality and for its further development, including the EU Strategic Framework on Roma Equality, Inclusion and Participation.

Furkan Sorkuncuk is a Project Coordinator at Volonteurope and a European Climate Pact Ambassador and has a background in law and European Studies. He works on participatory democracy to ensure everyone's voice is heard and actively shapes European policy discourse. He has a particular interest in foresight and how civil society organisations can apply it in different contexts to envisage multiple futures, enhance present thinking and preparedness and overcome current challenges. On top of this lies environmental action to secure a desirable future for seldom-heard groups and more-than-humans. He is the campaign manager for the European Citizens' Initiative for a Water-Smart and Resilient Europe and coordinates projects that enhance water literacy and water stewardship across Europe.

Nicolae Ștefănuță is Vice-President of the European Parliament

1. Education

• 2014 : Master’s degree in Public Policy Management. Javits Foundation Scholarship, Georgetown University, McCourt School of Public Policy; Washington DC, USA
• 2006 : Master’s degree in Advanced International Studies, Diplomatic Academy of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
• 2006 : Master’s degree in European Studies, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
• 2004 : Faculty of Economics, West University of Timișoara, Romania; Degree in Economics, DAAD scholarship – summer programme at Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich

2. Professional career

• 02/07/2019-... : Member of the European Parliament for Uniunea Salvați România (Save Romania Union) in the Renew Europe Group, European Parliament
• 01/09/2018-02/07/2019 : European diplomat. Diplomatic grade: secretary grade 1. Washington DC, USA
• 01/01/2012-31/08/2018 : European official responsible for Transatlantic relations, Brussels, Belgium
• 09/2011-12/2011 : EU official seconded to UNDP, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
• 06/2008-08/2011 : European official serving the EP’s Committee on Agriculture, Brussels, Belgium
• 01/2007-05/2008 : Assistant in legislative matters to member of the EP’s Committee on Budgets
• 10/2006-12/2006 : Diplomatic grade: diplomatic attaché, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

3. Political career

• 15/09/2019 : Vice-President of Uniunea Salvați România
• 26/01/2017 : Member of Uniunea Salvați România 

Anna Striethorst is Senior Country Officer for Hungary and Senior Sector Officer for Civil Society at the EEA and Norway Grants. She has substantial work experience in government relations, policy analysis and programme management, gained at the Ariadne funders network for human rights and social justice, the Roma programme of the Open Society Foundations and a German political foundation. Volunteering for political and social causes since young age, she currently serves as deputy chairperson of the Antigypsyism Reporting and Information Centre (MIA) in Germany. She has an advanced diploma in Political Sciences, European and International Law, and Slavonic Studies from the universities of Marburg, Bonn, London (UCL), and Wroclaw, as well as an academic certificate in negotiation from Harvard University.

Hanna Surmatz is Head of Policy at Philea in Brussels since 2022 and has been working towards a favourable operating environment for institutional philanthropy/foundations in Europe since 2004. Main responsibilities include leading and co-ordinating the policy and advocacy work of Philea, monitoring and mapping/analysis of relevant developments that affect foundations’/funders operating environment in Europe and beyond; co-ordination of benchmarking exercises; and facilitating information exchange on relevant legal and tax law matters through publications and events and engagement with policymakers and academia as well as other relevant stakeholders. Since 2021 she is a member of the European Commission Expert Group on Social Economy (GECES) and got re-appointed in June 2024. She  also represents Philea in the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) CSO Liaison Group and in Social Economy Europe. In 2024 she became co-chair of the Worldwide Initiative for Grantmaker Support Organisations (WINGS) Enabling Environment Working Group.

David Sventek is the Chairman of the Board of BeePartner company (JSC) which provides strategic consultancy in decarbonisation and modernisation of industrial and energy companies, promoting innovation, EU funding and regional development projects.

Since 2019, he has been an EESC expert and since 2020, an active member working in the ECO, TEN sections and Consultative Commission on Industrial Change of the EESC.

He has broad experience in operational programmes. Both, on the regional level (Director of the Regional Cohesion Council Moravskoslezsko) and the national level (General Secretary for the integrated regional development of the ESIF at the Ministry for Regional Developmemt of the Czech Republic).

Daniela Vancic is the Policy and Advocacy Lead for Europe at Democracy International, where she has been championing participatory and direct democracy since 2017. With over a decade of experience in citizen participation processes, she is a recognized expert on the European Citizens’ Initiative. She focuses on promoting and educating about the ECI, building communities around it, and providing guidance to its organizers via the ECI Forum. In 2022, she co-edited the book Complementary Democracy: The Art of Deliberative Listening.

Vera Vidal manages the intermediation between practitioners and researchers at La Coop des Communs, a French non-profit dedicated to facilitating knowledge exchange and building alliances between the commons and the Social and Solidarity Economy. She contributed to the "Plateformes en Communs" working group, where she organized the 3rd and 4th Forums on platform cooperatives. Currently, she coordinates the working group on digital commons. Vera has also been conducting research on platform cooperatives as a PhD candidate at the Open University of Catalonia in Barcelona and as a 2021 fellow at the Institute for the Cooperative Digital Economy at The New School in NYC.

In addition of being a practicing attorney at law, Vuckovic has a large experience in both governmental and non-governmental field. As a Member of Parliament from 2007 to 2020 (Democratic Party), she was chairing the Committee on European Integration and served in the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Committee on Judiciary and Public Administration, Committee on Administrative Affairs. Being a member of the Serbian Standing Delegation in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) for thirteen years, where she served as Vice President of the Assembly, as well as Chair of the Committee on Rules and Internal Procedures, and as Vice Chair of the Committee on Election of Judges to the European Court of Human Rights. She was PACE Rapporteur for Turkey.

Active in Serbian civil society, as a co-founder and Secretary General of the Center for Democracy Foundation, she has managed its work since 1994, by designing, coordinating its projects, fundraising and developing of the Foundation`s programmatic portfolio. Vuckovic is member of the Programmatic Council of the National Convention on the EU which is the largest CSO network in Serbia. She is also coordinator of NCEU working group for accession negotiations chapter 19 – Social policy and Employment and of the working group on Berlin Process and regional cooperation.   

In 2023, by the Serbian civil society organizations, she was elected member of the newly established Council for Civil Society in Serbia and also a member of the EU Serbia Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) and of the Enlargement Country Members (ECM) initiative of the European Economic and Social Committee.

In May 2024, at the General Assembly of the European Association for Local Democracy (ALDA) in Barcelona, Vuckovic was elected President of ALDA (France). 

She has published articles and analysis and has lectured and hold trainings at various institutions and organizations, including Regional School for Public Administration (ReSPA), particularly in the field of EU integration of the Western Balkans, rule of law, human rights, as well as in the non-profit management. Since 2024 she is columnist at the Serbian weekly Novi magazine.

She is awarded with the French medal National Order of Merit (Ordre National du Mérite) in the class of Knight (2014) as well as with the Assembly Medal by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe which also and received the title of the Honorary Associate of the Assembly (2017)

Pavel Zálešák, a 25-year-old Software Test Engineer, is a dedicated advocate for fair gaming practices. In 2024, he joined Stop Killing Games and later became the official representative of the European Citizens’ Initiative Stop Destroying Videogames, launched on July 31, 2024. He now coordinates a team of over 70 members across 20 EU Member States to combat harmful industry practices.

Beyond advocacy, Pavel is a full-time student at Unicorn University, serving on the student board, and is currently an intern at CERN, balancing his academic, professional, and activism efforts.