The historical past leads the present and the future
Sunday 23rd November 2008
by Marilena Giannouli
An interesting journey through history from a European perspective was presented to those participating in the historic conference on Ioannis Capodistrias and Altiero Spinelli held in Aigina on 22nd and 23rd November, at the Hotel Danae.
Two personalities at first sight unrelated, Capodistrias and Spinelli, with different starting points and different ends, were both the occasion for and the outcome of a European encounter in Aigina at this conference, moving us out of our familiar humdrum introversion. It was held at the initiative of Messrs. Wayne Hall and Alexis Krauss.
Although the conference included significant figures, and presentations, the unfavourable weather conditions, which resulted in a ban on the movement of shipping, deprived many speakers and participants of the opportunity to take part: namely the ambassadors of Switzerland and Ukraine and representatives of the embassies of France, Russia and Slovenia, the deputy director of the office of the European Parliament in Greece Mr. I. Kokkalas, Europarliamentarians and three of the speakers, Ms. Sofia Sfyroera, Andreas Koukos and Panos Trigazis.
“We welcome all who have managed to come”, said the Mayor Panayotis Koukoulis, at the same time thanking the organizers and the people who had the idea to hold the Conference. Opening the proceedings of the Conference, Mr. Koukoulis referred both to the “historical truth” of the significance of Ioannis Capodistrias and to its “international dimension”.
The warm greetings of the mayor of Famagusta in Cyprus were conveyed to the Conference by the deputy major of Famagusta Mr. Andreas Siopahas, who mentioned the unacceptable situation of non-application of European law owing to the continuing occupation of Famagusta by the Turks, contrary to every essential principle of European integration.
“It was in Aigina that Ioannis Capodistrias planned the taming of chaos, and converted it into a state” emphasised Mr. Periklis Pangratis, president of the Council of the Municipality of Corfu, who expressed his profound emotion at the fact that, finding himself on our island, he could “walk in the streets walked by the First Governor.”
“Little-known events, which marked the life of the newly-founded state,” were the subject of the talk by Father Emmanuel Giannoulis, speaking of the swearing-in of Ioannis Capodistrias in the Cathedral of Aigina, of which Father Giannoulis is the rector.
“A function which is an honour to its organizers” were the comments on the Conference by Giorgos Athanassiou, speaking as representative of the Mayor of Poros and conveying the greeting of the regional prefect of Western Greece Spyros Spyridonos.
Stratos Pantavos, President of Aigina’s Association of Active Citizens mentioned the wholehearted supported being extended to the Conference by the Municipality of Aigina, the European Parliament, the European Commission, the Capodistrian Cities’ Network and the embassies of the countries in the Network. “The title of the Conference: ‘Capodistrias-Spinelli-Europe’ involves a gamble,” noted Mr. Pantavos, presenting a brief account of the two distinguished men and the times in which they lived.
“From Capodistrias to the European Union” was the subject of the presentation of the Croatian University Professor of Physics Ivo Slaus, a distinguished scientist who is a member of the Academy of Arts and Sciences of Croatia and the Academia Europaea as well as president of the South-East-European section of the World Academy of Arts and Sciences. After giving an outline of the work of Capodistrias and Spinelli, Professor Slaus emphasized the importance of democracy and of education, examining the separate parameters that concern, or should concern, European integration, such as political structures, the economy, demographic changes, wind energy, multiculturalism, incorporation into the UN, democracy and knowledge, the challenge of dealing with organized crime. He presented the achievements of the European Union in these areas, as registered on the Eurobarometer.
The mission of Ioannis Capodistrias in Switzerland and the difficulties he faced there were analysed in detail by the Swiss historian and writer Michelle Bouvier-Bron in a presentation that highlighted the range of the abilities of the First Governor of Greece. The system of the cantons, Swiss neutrality and the security of its borders are to a great extent the product of the organization of the Swiss state by Ioannis Capodistrias, who succeeded in bridging the political, social and religious chasms that divided its inhabitants.
The Finnish sociologist and writer Mikael Book, who characterized himself as a “social activist” has for the last five or six years specialized in the work of Spinelli. In his presentation he spoke of the life-course of this great Italian politician and of his uncompleted vision of a European Union, considering its consummation the necessary prerequisite for achievement of European integration. “The time has come for us to make a decision on European political union. We cannot keep putting it off forever,” emphasized Mr. Book, who referred to the necessity of instituting a European Constitution, to European nuclear disarmament, and to the potential of the internet, which can function as a lever for regulation of, an institutionalized opponent to, the excesses of the national member states.
The Conference closed with an interesting discussion chaired by Aigina’s representative in the Capodistrian Cities’ Network, Giorgos Tsatiris, with three active young people of our island on the panel: Eleni Skrekou of the Aigina Womens’ Association, Petros Petris, President of the Souvala Professional Association and Costas Voyatzis, president of the local Youth Council. In their presentations they emphasized the importance of education and its present deficiencies, at the same time making proposals for improvements and lending their own fresh aura to the dialogue on the future of Europe and of the economy. Taking up the discussion, many members of the audience expressed their concern over various matters, most significant of which was perhaps the future of the Capodistrian buildings on our island, as indicated by Mrs. Mary Galani-Kritikou: “The neglect into which they have fallen is a disgrace not only for Aigina but for all of Greece.”
Co-ordinators of the Conference in its other sessions were the Mayor Mr. P. Koukoulis, and Professor Kostas Gavroglou, president of the Capodistrian Cultural Centre.
During the Conference, which took place with simultaneous translation into three languages: Greek, English and French, there was projection of four films:
1. “Capodistrias-Spinelli-Europe”
2. “Tribute to Altiero Spinelli” of the European Parliament
3. “Jean-Gabriel Eynard” of Michelle Bouvier-Bron
4. “I. Capodistrias” of Sofia Sfyroera.
The Conference was attended by the main opposition leader on the Aigina Council Sakis Sakkiotis, the Prefectural Councillor Dimitra Stathi, opposition councillors and numerous residents of Aigina.
On the second day of the Conference the delegates and participants were taken on a tour of the Aigina Cathedral by Father Emmanuel Giannoulis and to the Colonna archaeological site and the Temple of Aphaia by the archaeologist Evi Toulouba.
Despite falling victim to the bad weather and the unacceptable state of our coastal shipping connections with Piraeus (“Aigina, two steps from Piraeus, is a limited-service destination” as Mr. G. Tsatiris put it) it has certainly laid the foundation for broader reflection in the debate on Europe’s future. Starting from the 18th century via Capodistrias, proceeding to the 20th century via Spinelli, and outlining the elements of today’s European debate, it opened a dialogue on necessary future developments in Europe, with the ideas of these two historical personalities as starting point, measure and model. It is significant that such a dialogue started from Aigina.