On Wednesday 26 April, Austrian Oliver Röpke was elected as the new head of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) for a two and a half year term. In the mid-term renewal, Poland’s Krzysztof Pater was also elected as vice-president in charge of the budget, and Romania’s Aurel Laurenţiu Plosceanu as vice-president in charge of communication.
The priorities of Mr Röpke’s term as President will focus on citizen involvement, including for the enlargement countries. Honorary members from the EU candidate countries will be appointed, in order to involve these countries in the Committee’s advisory work.
In addition, a council of young citizens will be set up during the presidency and the opinions issued by the EESC will be subject to a ‘youth test’.
A citizens’ panel will be selected for the next European Parliament elections, which will take place in 2024. These citizens will participate in the elaboration of an electoral programme, in which priorities and expectations should be defined.
Work will also be carried out to give the EESC an active role in the forthcoming elections. “We want to play a crucial role in motivating citizens to participate in the elections, to help them fight against interference and pressure on the media”, Röpke said.
The priorities of the mandate will also include institutional reform. “We need to go further”, by way of participation in the EU transparency register and support for the EU ethics body, according to the newly elected EESC president.
In addition, measures, which are “structural, if necessary”, should be proposed to improve women’s participation. “I want more women in leadership positions on the board”, Röpke said.
Future proposals during Oliver Röpke’s short term of office should also focus on “integrating the foresight dimension and developing a forward-looking perspective in the work of the EESC”. An annual think tank summit should be held to “show that the Committee is writing opinions and reports, but also looking to the future”, concluded Röpke. (Original version in French by Thomas Mangin)