Change in the EFA leadership
Following a successful realignment and four years as President of the European Forum Alpbach, Andreas Treichl is stepping down from this position. He will continue to advise and support the Forum, but will shift his focus to the further development of the ERSTE Foundation.
Treichl has proposed Othmar Karas, the long-serving First Vice-President of the European Parliament, as his successor. "He is one of the most committed Europeans I know, has an exceptional network, knows how to bring the right people together, and remains unwavering in his vision to shape Europe for a prosperous future," says Treichl. With Othmar Karas as President, the European Forum Alpbach can continue to develop as a key platform for those working constructively on the crucial issues of our time. The General Assembly of the European Forum Alpbach will meet at the end of October. Othmar Karas and his team will apply for the succession.
In 2020, Andreas Treichl initiated the realignment of the forum, which was founded in 1945. "The key challenges of today can no longer be solved within individual sectors," says Treichl. Together with his board team, he focused on fostering open dialogue between the brightest minds from academia, business, politics, civil society, and the arts, alongside scholarship holders. The new concept placed a thematic emphasis on climate change and its impacts, Europe's economic sovereignty and how to finance necessary transformations, the strengthening of democracy and the rule of law, and Europe's security. The goal was to make the forum more international, with the belief that cross-generational, cross-sector, and cross-political exchanges are the best way to find solutions that can gain broad support.
The concept has proven successful: at the EFA 2024, 4,300 participants from 108 countries attended, including 500 scholarship holders from around the world. More than half of the speakers in the approximately 500 sessions were women. Innovative formats like "Hikes" — discussions held during walks — were as popular as the seminars and labs, where potential solutions to targeted questions were developed. "There were very concrete outcomes. Some were formulated as demands to politicians, others resulted in initiatives specifically for young people. Some start-ups even emerged. We are significantly closer to the goal of making the EFA not just two inspiring weeks in August, but an institution that has an impact 365 days a year," says Andreas Treichl. A development welcomed by both long-standing and new partners.
"It is an excellent time to step down from the presidency. Over the past few years, we have renewed and sharpened the forum's focus. I am confident it will continue to play an important role as a think tank for Europe's future," says Andreas Treichl. His commitment to Europe's future will now focus on the ERSTE Foundation, one of the most important charitable foundations in Europe, where he serves as chairman of the supervisory board. Andreas Treichl adds: "In 2020, we believed that Europe was facing significant challenges. Four years, a war, and an experience of inflation later, these challenges have not diminished, but grown, and this time they also affect the middle class. This is a development that will require us as a foundation to reassess our efforts." He remains closely connected to the European Forum Alpbach and all those involved.