The conference took place, as planned, at the Casa internazionale delle donne in Rome (International women conference centre) under the title "Out of the crisis. With another Europe – Uscire dalla crisi. Con un'altra Europa". RaiNews24 invited Mario Pianta (Sbilanciamoci!, initiator of the "Another Road for Europe" Manifesto), on 8 July 2012, for a dedicated TV broadcasting on the conference, while Radio Articolo 1 (the national radio of Italy's largest trade union, the CGIL) broadcasted the whole event nationwide. The media coverage of the conference was significant.

The speakers

All civil society organisations which had confirmed their participation did attend, including the national presidents of Italy's largest environmental NGOs, trade union leaders, student organisations, university professors, including former Equal opportunities Minister Laura Balbo. Several high-ranking politicians attended and gave input in the conference, among whom the Italian Greens President, the three members responsible for economic and labour policies within the Democratic Party, as well as representatives of the Sinistra Ecologia et Liberta, the Leftist Federation national leaderships and the new A.L.B.A. Movement.

The participants

There were over 150 participants, from Sbilanciamoci!'s member NGOs, universities, political parties and media.

The contents

The conference was divided in 3 sessions: Il ruolo della società civile e dei movimenti (The role of civil society and movements), Politica, democrazia e diritti per un’altra Europa (Politics, democracy and rights for another Europe) and Lavoro, giustizia e sostenibilità per un’economia diversa (Labor, justice and sustainability for a different economy). Over 35 speakers intervened during the day. A complete overview of the agenda and the speakers can be found below.

The event has built on the results of the 28 June 2012 Forum Another Road for Europe, held in co-operation with the Greens-EFA Group at the European Parliament. Contents were received with appreciation and interest by participants, but the presence of major Italian political parties lacked: the national leaders, though having confirmed their participation, did not attend in the end due to other engagements. This was unfortunate, as it would have been a good opportunity to discuss the alternative message of the conference with mainstream political parties.

Sbilanciamoci!, GEF’s partner organisation in this event, is a network of 51 associations, NGOs and networks campaigning on globalisation, peace, human rights, environment, fair trade, and ethical finance. It publishes yearly reports, meets policy makers and organises conferences to promote a different use of public resources and new role of public actors in the economy, arguing for social and environmental priorities.   

You can find the concluding proposals of the conference here (in Italian only).

First session / 10:30-13:00 
“The role of civil society and social movements”

Chair: Monica Frassoni, Co-president of the European Green Party
Introduction by Pierre Jonckheer, Co-chairman of the Green European Foundation, and Giulio Marcon, Spokesman of Sbilanciamoci!

Speakers: 

• Andrea Baranes, President of the Italian Foundation for Ethical Banking (Banca Etica)
• Paolo Beni, President of ARCI
• Vittorio Cogliati Dezza, President of the Italien environmental organisation Legambiente
• Monica Di Sisto, from the Italian network for social economy (RES)
• Giuseppe de Marzo, President of the Italian independent association for the promotion of North-South partnerships “A Sud”
• Elvira Ricotta Adamo, Head of a Students’ Union organisation (“Unione degli Universitari”)
• Antonio Tricarico, Director of Re: Common
• Stefano Leoni, President of WWF Italy

Second session / 16:00-18:00 
“Politics, Democracy and Civil rights for another Europe”

Speakers: 

• Monica Frassoni, Co-president of the European Green Party 
• Emma Bonino, Vice-president of the Italian Senate (Radicali Italiani), former MEP, European Commissioner and Italian Minister of European Affairs and International Trade
• Giuliano Amato, former President of the Italian Council
• Nicola Zingaretti, President of the Province of Rome

Third session / 18:00-20:30 
“Employment, Justice and Sustainability for a different economy”

Speakers: 

• Stefano Fassina, Responsible for Economics and Employment in the socialist party “Partito Democratico” 
• Mario Pianta, University of Urbino
• Pierre Jonckheer, Co-chairman of the Green European Foundation
• Susanna Camusso, Secretary General of the Italian General Labour Confederation (CGIL) 
• Massimiliano Smeriglio, Minister of Employment and Training of the Province of Rome
• Giulio Marcon, Spokesman of Sbilanciamoci!

GEF’s future of the EU project

GEF’s future of the EU project aims at mapping the various national discourses on the state and future of the European Union, as well as identifying and putting forward the Green positions on the topic. Therefore we will closely follow the discussions to be held in Italy, and this event will be the first to be documented and reported in this web dossier.