The Visegrád School of Political Studies is a joint project of the Council of Europe and the European Academy of Diplomacy in Warsaw, supported by the International Visegrád Fund and organized in cooperation with the Antall Jószef Knowledge Center | Corvinus University, the Diplomatic Academy of Prague, and the Slovak Atlantic Commission.
The 2015 program brought together young politicians, civil society activists, journalists and civil servants from the countries of the Visegrád Group – the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland & Slovakia – for 3-day seminars to help increase involvement in democratic processes, foster exchange of know-how, and strengthen regional cooperation among a new generation of Central European leaders.
The goal of the program was to develop participants’ ability to identify and solve the complex challenges facing Central European societies, as well as enhance their capacity to shape and strengthen the democratic processes in their respective countries. The School provided participants with the opportunity to establish a regional network of like-minded leaders, ready to take on greater responsibility for a more mature political culture in Central Europe and stronger leadership within the European Union. The program supported the Council of Europe’s mission of reinforcing democracy, human rights, and the rule of law on the European continent.
The program consisted of 4 thematic workshops held in each of the V4 capital cities – Bratislava, Budapest, Prague and Warsaw – and the annual World Forum for Democracy hosted at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg in November of 2016. Participants engaged in discussions, case study analyses, and work groups focusing on contemporary thematic issues facing the VSPS and the European Union, such as:
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Identifying the main challenges to the democratic process in the Visegrad Group
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Strengthening the democratic process in the Visegrad countries
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The Visegrad Group and the future of the European Union.
