In the midst of growing geopolitical and economic uncertainty for the continent, the latest iteration of the European Economic Congress began in Katowice on Wednesday with a focus on economic survival.
The 18th European Economic Congress in Katowice has begun, with geopolitics, defence and economic self-sufficiency dominating the agenda of one of Central Europe's largest business and political forums.
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The three-day event, held at the city's iconic Spodek arena under the motto "The Power of Dialogue," brings together politicians, entrepreneurs and experts to debate the economy, energy transition and digitalisation.
'The era of competition was replaced by managed chaos'
Jerzy Buzek, Poland's former prime minister and a former president of the European Parliament, set the tone in his opening address, calling on Europe to accept that the old international order was gone for good.
"We need to learn lessons. The era of an order based on competition has been replaced by an era of managed chaos. The world is changing on an almost daily basis," Buzek said.
He said Europe has remained one of the few actors on the international stage still operating as if old alliance structures were intact, and argued the continent needed to stand on its own feet without breaking from the United States.
"We have to act in such a way that we do not part company with America, because that would be too risky," he said.
"That is why resilience is the most important slogan."
Buzek also cited Zbigniew Brzeziński, the late Polish-American strategist, who once told him that any assessment of the international situation should begin with a map.
Poland, he said, combined a strong position on the EU continent with an active role in security and energy — including, he noted, in securing the Baltic Sea.
References to US policy ran through several speeches at the opening session, with speakers pointing to the implications of a more transactional Washington for European strategic planning.
From mining city to modern hub
The second part of the opening session turned to geopolitics and energy, with references to instability in the Middle East and its knock-on effects for European industry and workers.
Local officials including Katowice mayor Marcin Krupa and Marshal of the Silesian Voivodeship Leszek Saługa also addressed delegates, with discussion of how Katowice has transformed itself from a coal-mining centre into a hub of modern industry.
Speakers paid tribute to the Spodek itself — the UFO-shaped arena built in 1971 that has become one of Poland's most recognisable buildings.
According to local lore, thousands of soldiers were marched inside for hours during construction to test the stability of its then-controversial suspended roof structure.
The European Economic Congress has been organised by the Polish Association for Entrepreneurship Support since its first edition in 2009.