The most significant action of the Research Unit “European Policies and Democracy” (the predecessor of CEDLAW) since its establishment has been the organization of one of the largest conferences in Greece for 2019: the three-day international conference ‘Democracy in Crisis’. The conference was organized in collaboration with the international organization COST Association (Action “Constitution-making and deliberative democracy”) and the Thessaloniki Bar Association, with the support of the European Public Law Organization (EPLO), from January 30, 2019 to February 1, 2019 at the Acropolis Museum and EPLO in Athens.
More than 60 academics and experts from 18 countries, including from the USA, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Luxemburg, Italy, Iceland, Portugal, Israel, Spain, Poland, presented papers (following an international call for papers). The conference was attended by a great amount of people. In addition to the above, the conference brought together in a unique occasion, the following keynote speakers:
Evangelos Venizelos
Member of the parliament
Professor at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Dora Bakoyannis
Member of the parliament
Giannis Pretenteris
Journalist
Sia Kosioni
Journalist
Nikolaos Milionis
Vice-President of the European Court of Auditors
Katerina Sakellaropoulou
President of the Council of State of Greece
Vasilios Peppas
President of the Supreme Court of Greece
Androniki Theotokatos
President of the Court of Auditors
Georgios Gerapetritis
Minister of State
Professor at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
Ioannis Papadopoulos
Professor at the University of Lausanne
Nikolaos Alivizatos
Professor at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
Xenophon Kontiades
Professor at Panteion University
President of the Centre for European Constitutional Law
Nikiforos Diamandouros
former European Ombudsman
former Citizen's Advocate
Professor emeritus at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
Andreas Pottakis
Citizen's Advocate
Akritas Kaidatzis
Assistant Professor at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Special thanks to:
- the co-organizers: “Constitution-making & deliberative democracy” Action (CA17135), especially Professor Min Reuchamps, and the Thessaloniki Bar Association, especially its Chairman, Dr. Efstathios Koutsochinas, and Treasurer and Head of the Public Relations Committee, Mr. Anastasios Dougas, for their truly impeccable cooperation,
- the supporting organizations Research Committee of the University of Macedonia and EPLO, especially its Director Professor, Prof. Spyridon Flogaitis,
- the Acropolis Museum, especially the Chairman of its Board, Dr. Dimitris Patermalis, and the Events Manager, Mrs. Sofia Stavropoulou, and EPLO and their staff, for their truly impeccable hospitality,
- the keynote speakers, whose presence has been an honor for us,
- all of the delegates who participated with their presentations,
- the staff of the Research Unit who assisted organizationally,
- the audience that attended the conference.