Review of previous ESUs
The European Summer University 2022 in Mönchengladbach is already the fifth of its kind. Here is a short review of the previous events.
Toulouse 2017
About 1500 people attended the fourth European Summer University of Social Movements in Toulouse from 23 - 27 August 2017. "The social movement has a major role to play in raising the awareness of the citizens of Europe and elsewhere and rallying them: the system founded on finance and commodification poses the threat of a widespread crisis. We cannot fail to respond when faced with increasing inequality and poverty, with global warming, with the decline of democracy in Europe, in the United States and in the world. Let’s show that it is possible from this time on to build alternatives, starting with local and European initiatives." Aurélie Trouvé and Dominique Plihon, spokespersons for Attac France Images
Paris 2014
From 19-23 August 2014, around 2000 activists from 44 countries participated in the ESU in Paris. Along the thematic blocks "The EU - Is this what democracy looks like?", "Social and ecological dimensions of the crisis" and "Europe in the world: strategies of global power shift", they exchanged views in over 130 seminars, workshops and panels. Nine large assemblies provided a framework to work on cross-border campaigns. Other topics included the financial crisis, mobilisations around TAFTA and free trade agreements in France, Germany and the UK, shale gas and much more. There were also excursions, music, theatre, parties. More photos here.
Freiburg 2011
With the European Network Academy for Social Movements (ENA), which took place in Freiburg in August 2011, Attac further advanced the international networking of social movements. Under the motto "Building our common future - developing alternatives for a better world!", 1,300 activists from 38 countries discussed the four main topics "Ways out of the EU's democratic crisis", "Ways to a democratically controlled financial system", "Ways to an environmentally sound Europe" and "Ways to a social Europe" in 130 workshops and panels over six days. The international participation at the ENA was terrific; the European meeting has become a worldwide one.
Saarbrücken 2008
For the first time, 800 Attacies from 28 countries met in Saarbrücken at the beginning of August 2008 for the first European Summer University of Attac (ESU). The topics of Social Europe, Democratisation of the Economy, Democratisation of Europe, Ecological Europe and Europe in the World were on the agenda and were eagerly discussed in workshops organised across countries and in interesting forums. But also at concerts and social gatherings, activists and interested people from all over Europe came closer together. More than 15 transnational Attac projects were created and the existing working structures deepened.