Conference to mark the 30th anniversary of the Maastricht Treaty

The event, entitled Hidden federalism and democratic denial - 30th Anniversary of the Treaty of Maastricht, focused on the Maastricht Treaty and its impact. The treaty was a historic step in the construction of Europe, but now, as the European Union goes from one crisis to another, its balance sheet is being challenged on monetary, migration and energy issues. 

The conference aimed to provide a common platform for experts on European integration from both Western and Eastern Europe. Speakers at the event included Rudy Aernoudt, former Head of Cabinet of the European Economic and Social Committee, Henri Malosse, former President of the European Economic and Social Committee, Julien Aubert, President of Oser la France, and Jerzy Kwaśniewski, President of Instytut Ordo Iuris. The event was opened by Rodrigo Ballester, Head of the MCC's European Studies Workshop, followed by a keynote speech by Márton Ugrósdy, Deputy State Secretary in charge of the Office of the Director-General for Policy.

The Maastricht Treaty is indeed a milestone, as it drastically changed the original consensus and set the EU on the path of an ever closer political union," Rodrigo Ballester underlined in his speech. He also said that Maastricht sowed the seeds of the most pressing crises facing the EU today: migration, green policy, the creation of the euro and the ideal of European citizenship. 

There is a great divide between the European elite and the European people," said Márton Ugrósdy, adding that this can be seen in the recent farmers' strikes and the rise of radical parties across Europe. The Deputy State Secretary believes that the Brussels elite should first look at what the people of Europe want and need, and that this is what has been missing from European politics for the past 30 years. 

The international conference also discussed whether Maastricht was a leap to federalism or simply a betrayal of the European project. It also sought to answer the question of whether the Maastricht Treaty created a democratic deficit in the European Union.