EDS vice-chairman, Mr. Matija Magerl, attended DEMYC Summer School held in Zadar, Croatia from 3^rd to 6^th September 2009. The main theme of the Summer School was ‘New European leadership, a different Europe?’ and the discussion topics ranged from enlargement policies to institutional framework set by the Lisbon Treaty.

Summer School was opened by Mr. Božidar Kalmeta, Minister of Sea, Transport and Infrastructure in the Croatian Government who spoke on behalf Ms. Jadranka Kosor, the Croatian Prime Minister while other speakers were a formidable group of distinguished Croatian politicians and professors such as Ms. Marija Pejčinović Burić, MP and prof.dr.sc. Mladen Puškarić, professor at the University of Zagreb.

Also, a reception was held by the mayor of Zadar, Mr. Zvonimir Vrančić, who spoke about the city history and current political situation, emphasising that Zadar, as one of the most developed and beautiful cities on the Croatian coastline has had a centre-right city government ever since Croatia gained its independence 19 years ago.

During the event Mr. Magerl met with several of DEMYC officials including, Mr. Pall Heimisson, Chairman and Ms. Effie Gavriel, Secretary General, inviting them to return a visit to an EDS event.

Mr. Magerl also addressed the Executive Committee of DEMYC, the main meeting of DEMYC member organisations present at the Summer School, advocating for a more comprehensive cooperation between DEMYC and EDS: ‘I believe we can learn a lot from each other and work together more on many common fields, as our two organisations are among the oldest European centre-right youth organisations and are facing quite similar challenges’, he said and concluded: ‘here in Zadar, we had the opportunity to see just what centre-right politics can do for a community, it is our joint mission to always have these principles implemented on European level as well’.