European Forum Alpbach opens with call for political action

The European Forum Alpbach (EFA) has commenced its conference days under the theme ‘How Europe Wins’. During the opening, EFA President Othmar Karas issued a warning to the political center, economic leaders, and the media. Karas criticized what he termed ‘sleepwalkers’—those who recognize current political and economic shifts but mistakenly assume they will pass without requiring fundamental action.

Karas argued that Europe does not suffer from a lack of knowledge, but rather from a significant failure in implementation. He specifically noted that relying on the hope that populism will fail or that conflicts like the war in Ukraine will simply resolve into a return to the status quo is a mistake, stating that ‘there is no way back’.

The forum features a high-level assembly of international dignitaries, including former Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta, Indian diplomat Shashi Tharoor, and British Minister for European Relations Hamish Falconer. Participants from politics, business, science, and civil society will debate European priorities and resilience through Friday.