The Free Market Road Show visited last Friday March 28th the Greek capital, Athens.
The first panel on the EU and the role of Brussels had Dr. Hans Stein, from the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, as Key Note speaker. The panel produced an interest exchange of opinions between its key note and the Greek economist John Charalambakis, regarding their different views on the Union. While Dr. Stein advocated for more Brussels as the correct answer for many of Europe’s problems, Dr. Charalambakis was highly critical of the EU and pointed out that even Germany was bankrupt, once one includes the hidden liabilities.
The panel on “brain drain” produced a big buzz with the fact that “young Greeks are migrating to countries that are economically much freer than Greece”.
In turn, Gregory Farmakis, the second key note speaker, comment on the problems middle size Greek companies face because of emigration. However, he also said that many of the people who migrate end up helping their native country in different ways.
Great interest was raised by Mark Klugmann’s groundbreaking idea of the LEAP Zones. “Perhaps countries are too large to fix altogether… Why don’t we restore just one place and make it the most attractive place in the world and we migrate to our own country?” That was Klugmann’s challenge to his Greek audience.
The closing panel was spear-headed by Gregory Vallianatos, currently running for Major of Athens: “I am going to win next elections” said the confident libertarian candidate.
AEC’s Barbara Kolm criticized the heavy costs EU regulations put on the shoulders of the population, particularly entrepreneurs.
Dan Mitchell –who has just joined this year’s Road Show– warned about the dangerous relationship between economic stagnation and extremism.
The Austrian Economics Center (AEC), in cooperation with the local partner Liberty Forum Greece, and in association with international partners such as the Liberty Fund, Global Philanthropic Trust, European Students for Liberty, Ruefa and the F.A. v. Hayek Institut, proudly organized this event in Athens. This was the second stop of the 7th Annual Free Market Road Show® which tours from March 26th to May 12th. 30 cities, hundreds of speakers, thousands of attendees and one message: Freedom.
