IBA Annual Conference 2018
LGP brings Prodi and Petritsch to Pre-Event
On the occasion of the annual conference of the International Bar Association (IBA) in Rome, LGP co-hosted a reception with Professor Romano Prodi and the top diplomat Wolfgang Petritsch, Of Counsel at LGP. Attorney Gabriel Lansky's invitation to Terrazza Civita was accepted by around 80 attorneys and tax consultants from the network as well as participants of the IBA conference. The evening was thematically devoted to coping with the paradigm shift in international political and economic relations. Host Gabriel Lansky: "I am delighted that on the eve of the main congress of the International Bar Association, we were able to win both this year's opening speaker Prof. Prodi and our South Eastern Europe expert Wolfgang Petritsch for our Rome event".
- Gabriel Lansky; Wolfgang Petritsch; Romano Prodi; Andrea De Vecchi; Paolo Mondia
Europe must speak with one voice
According to Professor Romano Prodi, Europe has lost ground politically, after the Brexit, France remains in the UN Security Council as the only permanent member from the European Union. Neither is there a single European company among the so-called "global players" Alibaba, Amazon & Co. . Nevertheless, the current constellation holds opportunities for the EU: the U.S. have lost their leading role as an economic engine, and the smouldering trade war between China and the U.S. weakens the former "driving force" of world trade. In this situation, Europe must act in a united and constructive manner. "A strong Chinese export economy ultimately also benefits foreign companies. More than 40 percent of Chinese exports come from companies with foreign participation," said the former President of the Commission and Italian Prime Minister. In his reflections, Prodi also turned his attention to the African continent. "The EU is called upon to find a common strategy". A European plan should primarily aim at the promotion of infrastructure, strategic infrastructure as well as the school and health sectors. The EU-Africa summit planned for 18 December 2018 is an important step in the right direction.
The future can be shaped - if we act in time
Top diplomat and UN ambassador Wolfgang Petritsch - he will soon publish his new book "Epochal Change. Our digital-authoritarian century" - describes the current paradigm shift as a "weakening of the four pillars of the world order". According to him, the cornerstones of the current world order have been shaken. "In an era of "post-democracy" we observe the resurgence of authoritarian forces, the replacement of liberalism as the guiding idea of the Western world," says the top diplomat. The example of China shows that democracy is not a precondition for capitalism. Nevertheless, Wolfgang Petritsch outlines a positive scenario - the future can be shaped positively. "Peace and prosperity can be secured if we act in time."
