On March 24, 2022, the Dames of the Order of St. George hosted an event dedicated to this year’s general theme “The Battle for the Soul of Europe”. The guest was the journalist, author and long-time companion of Otto von Habsburg, Stephan Baier.
In her welcome address, Baroness Gabriela von Stimpfl-Abele, General Secretary of the Dames, addressed the dramatic developments on our continent triggered by Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. “A war is raging in Europe. The failures of the past – from defence to economic policy to the neglect of cultivating a European identity – are now brutally catching up with us. One has to ask the question: Is it too late to nurture the soul of Europe? Or is now exactly the right time to finally fight for it? Personally, I am convinced of the latter.”
The speaker took up the ball and in an extraordinarily interesting lecture put the war in Ukraine and the overall political situation in the context of the general topic. The subsequent discussion, which was as interesting as it was high-level, lasted almost as long as his lecture. The evening ended in a cosy atmosphere with lively discussions.
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