Report on participation at the “X. Internationale Förder-Kongress Junge Wissenschaft und Wirtschaft: Europa neu (er)finden im digitalen Zeit? Freiheit, Wohlstand und europäische Integration” congress
On 14 and 15 May 2018, Dr Rok Spruk, a post-doctoral researcher at the FELU, attended the 10th international congress of young scientists (X. Internationale Förder-Kongres “Junge Wissenschaft und Wirtschaft”). His participation was based on the recommendation of FELU Dean Prof. Dr. Metka Tekavčič and an invitation from the Hanns Martin Schleyer Stiftung foundation, the Heinz und Heide Dürr foundation and the IFO economic institute (Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung an der Universität München e.V.). The participants mostly included young scientists from German-speaking countries and countries of the German cultural circle in Central Europe. The main theme of the congress was the economic future of Europe in the digital era.
The congress was attended by over 120 young scientists from the fields of law, economics and other social sciences – a total of 340 participants, including Dr Wolfgang Schüssel, the former Austrian Chancellor, Karl-Heinz Streibich, the CEO of Software AG, Oliver Witke, State Secretary at the federal Ministry of Energy and Economy, and László Andor, PhD Eng., the former European Commissioner. The scientists discussed whether Europe needs a different impetus in the digital era.
Workgroups were formed and discussions held by experienced journalists, namely Dr Marc Beise (Süddeutsche Zeitung), Heike Göbel (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung), Dr. Med. Ursula Weidenfeld and Michael Mayer (Der Standard). Dr Spruk participated in the discussion of Workgroup 5 about Europe in transition, under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Werner Schroeder (Leopold-Franzens Universität Innsbruck). He appeared at the congress with his position paper (Thesenpapier) co-written by Prof. Dr. Nuno Garoupa (Texas A&M University, Catolica Law School Lisbon) and entitled “Einsäme Wolfe, schlafende Elefanten oder Raubfalken? Institutionelle Shocks und kontrafaktische langfristige Wirtschaftsentwicklung”. The article emphasises the importance of distinguishing the nature of institutional shocks and their impact on long-term economic development. Institutional changes can be manifold. This may be a sequence of gradual changes which, as political power matures, promote economic development or temporary institutional shocks that have a short-term impact on economic growth, yet their long-term development is weak. On the other hand, there are two types of institutional structural breaks. The first type (institutional break) permanently improves the growth trajectory and development, whereas the second type (institutional breakdown) permanently ruins them. The article encompasses a sophisticated econometric methodology, sheds light on many examples as well as measures the cost/benefits of individual institutional shocks in the sense of economic growth lost and/or gained.
During the congress, young scientists entered into an interdisciplinary and intergenerational discussion that mostly examined how to transfer scientific findings into smart political proposals and solutions for the legislator. The concluding statement of the congress, held under the auspices of the Hanns Martin Schleyer foundation, was that the social market economy, according to Ludwig Erhardt’s ordoliberal concept, and the legislature must provide a reasonable regulatory framework that offers smart solutions for the challenges of the digital era, such as the inclusion of young people in the labour market, the competitiveness of European companies in the global market, environmental sustainability and sustainable development. Besides the highly-productive competition and flexible internal market, Europe must offer its citizens a common identity because it is only as a community of values where its population is happy to live that Europe can overcome challenges like Brexit as well as political pressure from the USA and Russia.
Dr Rok Spruk
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