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Summit meeting in Alpbach: Chancellor discusses the future of Europe!
The European Forum Alpbach in Tyrol took place on August 29, 2025, with prominent speakers and around 200 guests from politics and business.
Summit meeting in Alpbach: Chancellor discusses the future of Europe!
On August 29, 2025, a festive cocktail evening took place at the Böglerhof in Alpbach European Forum Alpbach (EFA) celebrated. Around 200 guests from politics, media and business were invited to this special occasion. ORF General Director Roland Weißmann opened the event, which served as a platform for networking and exchange in an international context.
European challenges were particularly discussed in the speeches given at the event. In his welcoming speech, Federal Chancellor Christian Stocker emphasized the importance of such discussions. Weißmann himself emphasized the need for digital sovereignty and media competence in the current era. Othmar Karas, President of the Forum, also commented positively on the mood of the 4,000 visitors who were expected in Alpbach during the entire Forum.
Opening of the forum and central topics
The 80th edition of the European Forum Alpbach began on the same Sunday morning with a traditional “national reception” in the village square. Local riflemen and a brass band were present. The Tyrolean anthem “Zu Mantua in Banden”, the Austrian national anthem and the European anthem were sung, accompanied by an honorary salute and the typical distribution of schnapps. Also present were Forum President Andreas Treichl and Tyrol's Governor Anton Mattle, who described the current political situation as a “moment of truth”.
Mattle noted that half of humanity will vote this year, but only a small proportion will vote under free, democratic conditions. The state governor also warned against scaremongering when dealing with artificial intelligence (AI) and called for healthy middle ground and regulations for its use. South Tyrol's Governor Arno Kompatscher agreed with this argument and spoke about the need to have a critical discourse about AI.
Diverse participation and outlook
The European Forum Alpbach offers numerous opportunities for active participation. This includes not only access to the event itself, but also programs such as scholarships, the Leadership Lab and Alpbach in Motion. Membership within the forum allows exclusive access to Europe's most pressing challenges and offers great networking opportunities.
The EFA takes place every summer in Tyrol and attracts over 4,000 participants every year. The current topics of the forum are climate, economy and finance as well as security and democracy. An intensive examination of these questions should help to inform young people about the importance of a “democratic, constitutional society”. Given the current political and social challenges, it is more important than ever to take the fundamental values of democracy seriously.