Central and East European Agora 2017

Krytyka Polityczna’s meeting in Cieszyn was an opportunity to meet social-political actors and organisations from across Central and Eastern Europe, whilst building a bridge between our region with Western and Southern Europe. The programme of the event included lectures, workshops, discussions and a chance to meet and exchange with over 140 participants from more than 20 countries.

On many occasions in recent years, we have discussed the rise and politicisation of European societies. We have observed an increase of social performances and protests in the past years, as well as braver and braver operations being run by social movements that have lead them to cross the Rubicon of political engagement.

The consequences therefore have been the creation of organisations with bottom-up empowerment, postulating social justice (with horizontal social movements, party movements, new-type trade unions, political civil platforms on the municipal level as well as social & political movements on a continental level), which have effectively penetrated the political sphere, including traditional party politics and public institutions, on local, national and European levels. This is the direction which, in our opinion, may contribute to real change throughout all corners of Europe.

Consequently, this year’s CEE meeting in Cieszyn focused on different experiences and strategies of political involvement.