Hosted in the heart of the European Quarter at the European Committee of the Regions on 11 February, the Congress brought together attendees from over 10 countries to discuss the theme of “Free to Stay, Family and Cohesion Policies for Territorial Development.”
With the demographic crisis looming as a threat to the future of the region, representatives from across Europe, from municipal administrators to lobbyists, attended the congress at the invitation of ELFAC and the European Network of Family-Friendly Municipalities to engage in discourse on how strengthening social cohesion, improving territorial attractiveness, and supporting families can serve as the cornerstone of sustainable community development. Speakers and attendees alike, with a shared goal of representing the social and economic interests of families with children, discussed the changes that need to be made to strengthen the regional framework, including how to tackle issues such as the housing crisis and work-life balance.
Opening
After welcoming conference attendees, moderator and ELFAC Secretary General Raul Sanchez invited Kinga Joó, member of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and Mercedes Hernandez, director for alliances and international relations, Fundacion Masfamilia (Spain), to share their sentiments regarding the topic of the conference and the issues they believe are of most importance to touch on. Joó addressed how crucial the housing crisis is in particular, sharing that “more than 5 million households with children are unable to maintain adequate indoor temperatures, exposing family members to serious hazards, and around 7 million children to overcrowded, damp, or structurally unsafe dwellings.”
Sanchez then asked Regina Maroncelli, coordinator of the Family Cities Network, to deliver greetings and a few opening remarks. She noted the importance of the timing of the Congress in relation to current events, and briefly highlighted several key attendees and the work their municipalities have done. “Being here, you show that it is possible to have family friendly policies, and it is possible to work on natality, and family well-being,” Maroncelli stated.
Following the introductions, a video message from Raffaele Fitto, the Executive Vice-President for Cohesion and Reforms at the European Commission, explaining how local family policies are the root of how European cohesion is built, was displayed to the attendees.
Before continuing on to the speaker portion of the Congress, each municipality in attendance was delivered diplomas by Regina Maroncelli and Kinga Joó, with special emphasis placed on those who have most recently joined the network.
Guest Speakers
To begin the presentations, Luciano Malfer, the Research and Family Development Manager at Fondazione Bruno Kessler from Trento, Italy, explained how territorial attractiveness, innovation, and people work together to foster growth using the three epochal transitions of digital, demographic, and environmental changes; people strategies; and the attractiveness function.
Building off of this theme of how to spur development, Michał Michalski, President of the Institute for Family and Society Studies Foundation in Poland, described at length how municipalities play a crucial role in enacting the demographic change needed to sustain Europe in the future. As a result of the vast network available to support them, “Families very often mitigate the effects of social pathological crises,” Michalski explained.
The speaker portion concluded with Mercedes Hernandez, who described how the municipalities in attendance can cooperate with local companies using the EFR model to create work-life balance. All three speakers were then asked to come to the head table for a brief question and answer period.
After an enlightening discussion with the perspectives of the speakers, the signature of the agreements between ELFAC and the MasFamilia Foundation of Spain, as well as with the Bruno Kessler Foundation of Italy took place. This then led to the conclusion of the first portion of the conference with Radoszlaw Waszkiewicz, president of ELFAC delivering his gratitude to all those who were able to attend the Congress.
When all those in attendance reconvened following the break, Regina Maroncelli presented a slideshow detailing a new initiative of the network known as the European Network for Family-Friendly Companies. Her speech served as an introduction to the first partner of this project, Plastik SPA from Italy, who highlighted a practical case of corporate welfare designed for families, and all the ways in which their company supports parents and large families in particular.
In another example of strides made by organizations toward family-friendly policies, Árpád Mészáros, Vice-President of the KINCS Institute for Demography and Family Policies in Hungary narrated in detail the KINCS Family Friendly Settlements Expo, sharing how the event came to be as well as some highlights of the day.
Presentation of Local Best Practices from Municipalities and Companies
With the speaker portion of the evening complete, representatives and administrators from various municipalities presented their best practices in relation to family and cohesion policies, and how these initiatives have led to territorial developments and demographic shifts in their respective locales. Showcasing a variety of approaches geared towards community development, presentations were delivered by Juliette Schmetz, from the Calico project of co-housing in Brussels (Belgium), Marzena Paszkot, Plenipotentiary of the Mayor, and Malgorzata Wawrzynska of the Family Affairs Team from the Municipality of Krakow (Poland), Maria Grazia Salaris, Councilor of the Municipality of Alghero (Italy), Alberto Vidal Guerrero, Councillor for Family in Castellón de la Plana (Spain), Mariana Letra, Municipality of Albergaria-a-Velha (Portugal), María Elena Álvarez Gómez from the Municipality of Galapagar (Spain), Lorenzo Schiarea, Member of the Municipal Executive of Foligno for Social Policies and Family Policies from the Municipality of Foligno (Italy), Mª del Carmen Portugal Bueno, Councillor for Family Affairs of the Orihuela City Council from the Municipality of Orihuela (Spain), Pamela Maria Diaconu, City Councillor of Brașov from the Municipality of Brașov (Romania), Sílvia Silva from the Municipality of Torres Vedras (Portugal), and Elisa Bolis, Deputy Mayor of the Municipality of Berbenno and Diego Mosca, Social Affairs Councilor of the Municipality of Berbenno (Italy).
As each presentation was met with enthusiasm, the conference concluded with another brief question and answer period for all those who spoke, followed by some closing remarks delivered by Raul Sanchez, Regina Maroncelli, Radoszlaw Waszkiewicz, and Laszlo Marki, the honorary president of ELFAC.