Christmas Message from the ESU President and Secretary-General
Dear Friends,
2024 has been an eventful year for Europe and for our association, the European Seniors’ Union. Eventful both in emotions and in structural events.
We all remember the outcomes of the elections for the European Parliament and several elections at national level. These will impact our lives for the years to come.
We had the Congress of the ESU in Leuven, where decisions were taken for a new leadership of our Association. Stefaan Vercamer and Patrick Penninckx are now heading the ESU, after eleven years of strong and innovative leadership by An Hermans and Guido Dumon. Shortly after the Congress we were saddened by the sudden passing of Guido, leaving us in disarray in finding out how to go about the many tasks that lay ahead of us. Closer to Christmas, we were further saddened by the death of former President Dr. Bernhard Worms. We will remember them in our thoughts over this Christmas period.
But Christmas is also a message of hope. A time to look into the future and what the new year is going to bring. We feel that there is an ever stronger commitment of the Vice-Presidents and the Executive Committee of the ESU to make things work. To bring new ideas to the table. To look forward to dealing with new topics and to increase our visibility. To be better represented towards the European People’s party and to have the voices of the older adults heard.
It is time for a change of perception. Our seminars and conferences did come to that conclusion: we need to change our concept of age and the place of older adults in our society.
That is the message of hope we want to bring, as ESU reaches its 30 years of existence, which we will be celebrating throughout 2025 with several events, our Spring Conference in Bratislava; our Summer Academy in Velthoven and our Celebration in Spain.
We count on you to be part of our joint Christmas package and look forward to a fruitful year 2025.
Our Best Wishes for a Merry Christmas and a wonderful 2025.
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Dr Bernard Worms (Stommeln, 14 March 1930 – Pulheim, 21 December 2024)
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