European Economic Congress opens in Katowice with focus on self-sufficiency

Published connected 23/04/2026 - 12:22 GMT+2•Updated 12:28

The 18th European Economic Congress successful Katowice has begun, with geopolitics, defence and economical self-sufficiency dominating the docket of 1 of Central Europe's largest concern and governmental forums.

The three-day event, held astatine the city's iconic Spodek arena nether the motto "The Power of Dialogue," brings unneurotic politicians, entrepreneurs and experts to statement the economy, vigor modulation and digitalisation.

'The epoch of contention was replaced by managed chaos'

Jerzy Buzek, Poland's erstwhile premier curate and a erstwhile president of the European Parliament, acceptable the code successful his opening address, calling connected Europe to judge that the aged planetary bid was gone for good.

"We request to larn lessons. The epoch of an bid based connected contention has been replaced by an epoch of managed chaos. The satellite is changing connected an astir regular basis," Buzek said.

He said Europe has remained 1 of the fewer actors connected the planetary signifier inactive operating arsenic if aged confederation structures were intact, and argued the continent needed to basal connected its ain feet without breaking from the United States.

"We person to enactment successful specified a mode that we bash not portion institution with America, due to the fact that that would beryllium excessively risky," helium said.

"That is wherefore resilience is the astir important slogan."

Buzek besides cited Zbigniew Brzeziński, the precocious Polish-American strategist, who erstwhile told him that immoderate appraisal of the planetary concern should statesman with a map.

Poland, helium said, combined a beardown presumption connected the EU continent with an progressive relation successful information and vigor — including, helium noted, successful securing the Baltic Sea.

References to US argumentation ran done respective speeches astatine the opening session, with speakers pointing to the implications of a much transactional Washington for European strategical planning.

From mining metropolis to modern hub

The 2nd portion of the opening league turned to geopolitics and energy, with references to instability successful the Middle East and its knock-on effects for European manufacture and workers.

Local officials including Katowice politician Marcin Krupa and Marshal of the Silesian Voivodeship Leszek Saługa besides addressed delegates, with treatment of however Katowice has transformed itself from a coal-mining centre into a hub of modern industry.

Speakers paid tribute to the Spodek itself — the UFO-shaped arena built successful 1971 that has go 1 of Poland's astir recognisable buildings.

According to section lore, thousands of soldiers were marched wrong for hours during operation to trial the stableness of its then-controversial suspended extortion structure.

The European Economic Congress has been organised by the Polish Association for Entrepreneurship Support since its archetypal variation successful 2009.