18th Meeting of the Association of European Senates

On Thursday, 1 June 2017, a two day 18th Meeting of the Association of European Senates took place at Brdo near Kranj, attended by representatives of 14 countries. As the host, the National Council of the Republic of Slovenia prepared two main topics for discussion. On the first day, a seminar named the European Senate – the road to greater connection with EU citizens? took place, at which possible positive effects of the second chamber of the European Parliament for the decrease of democratic deficit, and for a stronger link between citizens of the European Union and the European Parliament, were discussed.
At the opening of the meeting, the President of the National Assembly dr. Milan Brglez also welcomed representatives of senates. At the session, multiple bilateral meeting occurred as well. In such a way, the President of the National Council met separately with representatives of France and Czech Republic.
The second day of the meeting was intended for a general discussion of the theme Second Chambers and the challenges of time, at which the participants presented experiences of their own countries and discussed the ways of functioning of senates in the future. The participants were welcomed by the Prime Minister dr. Miro Cerar, and the President of the Republic of Slovenia Borut Pahor hosted a welcoming lunch at Brdo Castle for heads of delegations.