Ageing in Europe

From North to South

Ageing is a highly individual process, but in the public, we tend to conceive older Europeans as one collective group. Our book From North to South: Ageing in Europe compiles EU-27 data on ageing and presents three case studies on how ageing and how the ageing population is viewed in Finland, Austria and Italy. In this debate, speakers will discuss the question: “What can we learn from each other?”
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Read The Report

Ageing in Europe

Today, there are over a 100 million citizens in the EU-region aged 65 or older. That’s a fifth of the total population.
 
In just thirty years that number will reach 149 million individuals, which means that in 2050 EU-citizens aged 65 or older will make up almost one third of the population.
 
At the same time, we also live longer: in 2010 the life expectancy of a child born in the EU was 80 years. In 2019, that number had risen to 82 years.
 
Healthy ageing is a key to a sustainable European society. But how do we measure healthy ageing? Is quality of life, is it the level of pensions or the access to internet?
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Podcast

Ageing in Europe:

What can we learn from eachother?

RECORDING, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10, 2021, ONLINE

Read the report

ELF and Agenda has brought together a panel of experts and policy makers to discuss this topic.

Dr. Anna K. Forsman

Finland

Head author of the report
Dr. Anna K. Forsman holds a position as Associate Professor in Health Sciences at Åbo Akademi University in Finland. Her research interests include mental health promotion across the lifespan and its social factors and psychosocial mechanisms, especially among older age groups.

Mr. Michael Fuchs

Austria

Co-author of the report
Michael Fuchs holds a master’s degree in social and economic sciences and is a researcher at the European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research in Vienna since 2000. He has coordinated and has been engaged in several international and national research projects related to employment policies, social protection systems and social inclusion. From a technical skills point of view, Michael is experienced in both quantitative and qualitative methods, among them survey analysis, tax/benefit-microsimulation, impact assessment and indicator analysis, desk research and stakeholder interviews.

 

Mr. GianMarco Bovenzi

Italy

Co-author of the report
Mr. Gian Marco Bovenzi, Attorney. He achieved cum laude in his Masters’ Degree in Law at the University of Rome “Tor Vergata” (2014), discussing a thesis in compared criminal procedure law with title “The safeguard of personal liberty in Italy and in the United States”. He further achieved a post-graduate Masters’ Degree in Forensic Sciences at the University of Rome “La Sapienza” (2018), an LL.M. in American Law at the Syracuse University College of Law (New York, United States, 2019). He worked as an intern at the United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention (Wien, 2015) and as a law clerk for the Italian Department of Justice (2016/2017). Admitted to practice law in 2017, he currently collaborates with the Luigi Einaudi Foundation in Rome.

MEP Dragos Pislaru

Romania

Renew Europe Group, policy maker
Dragoș Pîslaru is a Romanian economist and politician. Since 2019 he has been serving as a member of the European Parliament. He also held the position of Minister of Labor, Family, Social Protection and the Elderly in the Government of Dacian Cioloș from April 18, 2016 until January 4, 2017. He is a member of Freedom, Unity and Solidarity Party and of the European political family Renew Europe.

MP Barbro Westerholm

Sweden

AGE Platform
Barbro Westerholm (born 16 June 1933) is a Swedish politician of the Liberals. She has been a member of the Swedish Parliament since 2006. Westerholm was previously a member from 1988 to 1999. In 1979 as general director of the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare, she had homosexuality dropped from the list of mental health diseases. In 2009 she was awarded the Nordic Public Health Prize for work to fight discrimination against the elderly

Ted Urho

Finland

Moderator, Think tank Agenda
Mr. Ted Urho is the executive manager of the liberal think tank Agenda, based in Finland. Before joining the think tank he worked as a producer, journalist and reporter at the Finnish public broadcasting company YLE for ten years. Ted Urho holds a Bachelor’s degree in Education.

Maria Varlamova

Austria

Jagiellonian University
Maria Varlamova is a doctoral researcher (ESR) within EU H2020 MSCA-ITN EuroAgeism at Jagiellonian University (Poland). She specializes in active ageing, social policy on ageing and ageism. Her current research addresses the employers’ perspective and age management practices under the effects of legal environment, economic cycle and welfare regime characteristics.

Tamara Premrov

Austria

European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research

Tamara Premrov is researcher at the Work and Welfare unit at the European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research in Vienna. Her research focus lies on economic and social inequality, poverty and social protection systems. Prior to her current position, she was a teaching and project assistant at the Vienna University of Economics and Business, where she obtained a degree in Economic and Social Sciences.

Dr. Felice Strollo

Italy

University Sapienza

Dr. Felice Strollo is a doctor of medicine from University Sapienza, Rome, specialised in Endocrinology and Diabetes. He also holds postgraduate diplomas in Aerospace Medicine and Nuclear Medicine. He chaired the National Functional Department on Food, Metabolism and Wellness of the Italian National Research Centers on Aging (INRCA) from 2006 to 2012 and is ANIAD’s Vice-President (Italian National Association of Athletes with Diabetes) and delegate at the International Diabetes Federation (IDF). He is also the author of several papers in the fields of Geriatrics, Endocrinology and Aerospace Medicine.

What is ELF?

The European Liberal Forum (ELF) is the official political foundation of the European Liberal Party, the ALDE Party. Together with 47 member organisations, we work all over Europe to bring new ideas into the political debate, to provide a platform for discussion, and to empower citizens to make their voices heard.

ELF was founded in 2007 to strengthen the liberal and democrat movement in Europe. Our work is guided by liberal ideals and a belief in the principle of freedom. We stand for a future-oriented Europe that offers opportunities for every citizen.

ELF is engaged on all political levels, from the local to the European. We bring together a diverse network of national foundations, think tanks and other experts. At the same time, we are also close to, but independent from, the ALDE Party and other Liberal actors in Europe. In this role, our forum serves as a space for an open and informed exchange of views between a wide range of different actors.

What is Svenska Bildningsförbundet (FIN)?

Svenska Bildningsförbundet (SBF) brings together the Swedish-speaking and bilingual population in Finland, promotes lively educational activities and constructive societal discussions. SBF promotes the understanding of the international community and the development of the European integration.

SBF organises courses, seminars, and conferences, as well as study circles and other educational activities. SBF builds networks between different interest groups that share SBF’s goals.

SBF’s activities are divided into five fields of activities: regular educational activities and seminars; the think-tank Agenda; Liberal praktik -internship program and the Leadership Academy as well as projects conducted in cooperation with partners. All these fields operate under SBF.

Podcast

This event is organised by the European Liberal Forum (ELF) and supported by Svenska Bildningsförbundet (FIN). Co-funded by the European Parliament.