EU Enlargement – A Stronger Europe for a Stronger Austria

November 2026 | 6.00–8.00 pm (doors open at 5.30 pm) Simultaneous interpretation will be available in German and English.***Please REGISTER by emailing office@cedf.eu.

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PROGRAMME

Welcome and Opening Remarks:

• Helene Schuberth, Executive Director, Austrian Trade Union Federation (ÖGB)
• Valentin Wedl, Head of the EU and International Affairs Department, Vienna Chamber of Labour (AK Wien)

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Opening Address:

Europe Is Growing – Why EU Enlargement Matters to Austria

Stefan Belabed, Project Coordinator, CETUN

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Panel Discussion:

The Road to EU Membership – Opportunities and Challenges for the Western Balkans

The panel will explore the current situation of EU candidate countries Albania and Montenegro, as well as the implications of the next round of EU enlargement for Austria’s labour market and society. Particular attention will be paid to the importance of democracy, worker participation and economic development in ensuring a successful and socially balanced enlargement process.

• Manuel Aigner, Attaché for Labour, Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection at the Austrian Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, responsible for Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro
• Wolfgang Greif, President of the Central European Democracy Forum (CEDF)
• Ivana Mihajlović, Deputy Secretary-General of the Confederation of Free Trade Unions of Montenegro (USSCG)
• Bernhard Müller, Honorary Consul of the Republic of Albania for Lower Austria

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Chair:

Sarah Bruckner, EU and International Affairs Department, Vienna Chamber of Labour (AK Wien)

The event is organised jointly by CEDF, CETUN, the Vienna Chamber of Labour (AK Wien) and the European Office of the Austrian Trade Union Federation (ÖGB).