Informal Economic Forum - Economic Club Association: The Best Policy Is Prosperity

The best policy is prosperity
19 August 1993 – 20 June 2013, Europe, Slovak Republic, Bratislava
Informal Economic Forum – Economic Club Association

The initiative meeting took place on 19 August 1993.
At this forum, P. Kasalovský announced that he intended to
associate economic and political leaders and to be independent
of political parties. He declared the main objectives:
1 – challenge both government and opposition economic policy,
2 – assist the development of international relations,
3 – contribute to the reputation of the Slovak Republic.
Until 20 June 2013, 96 club meetings took place, of which nine
were general meetings, and 236 events were organised in total.
As at 21 May 2013:
Number of regular members: 222
Number of honorary members from Slovakia: 3
Number of honorary members from abroad: 71
PresidentoftheSlovakRepublicI.Gašparovič withtheclubrepresentationafterthediscussionon15March2006onwhatwouldbenefit
therepublicanditscitizensonthepartofbusinesspersons.

Golden Biatec since 1993
Prominent of the Economy since 1995
The Most Popular Member of the Slovak
Government since 1998
The Most Popular Parliament
Deputy since 1998
Best Bank since 1999
World Politician since 2003
These traditional prizes and honours
are granted on the basis of a secret vote
by club members and other personalities,
but usually including votes from the public
at www.hospodarskyklub.sk.
Silver plaque for the winner
of the World Politician 2006 enquiry,
Russian President V. Putin.
PresidentoftheCzechRepublicprof.V.Klausshowsthecertificatetocamerasevidencing
hisvictoryintheenquiry“WorldPolitician2005”onthePragueCastleon8March2006.
Totheright,Co-ChairmanoftheClubCommitteeR.Y.MosnyfromtheUSA.
Association’s PrestiGioUs PriZes
Silver plaque for the winner
of the Best Bank 2006, Slovenská sporiteľna, a. s..
27 January 2006: Minister of Environment of the Slovak Republic, L. Miklós, received
a certificate from S. Hatina on the granting of the prestigious title “Prominent of the
Economy”.
ThefirstlaureateofGoldenBiatec,thefirstPresidentoftheSlovakRepublic,M.Kováč,
handedoverthenewprizetoPh.ZepterofMonaco(firstfromtheleft,V.Veteška,
DeputySpeakeroftheParliamentbehindhim).

Support to the club’s goals was expressed,
among international personalities, by
Pope Benedict XVI, the French
President J. Chirac, the Czech President
prof. V. Klaus, the WEF President
prof. K. Schwab, and, from Slovakia,
by the Slovak President I. Gašparovič,
Ján Chryzostom Cardinal Korec,
Speaker of the Parliament P. Paška,
Prime Minister R. Fico, and former
Foreign Minister E. Kukan.
The Main topic of the MeetinGs in
the 14th and 15th year of activity Was:
NeW thinKinG in the NeW World and in NeW EUrope
A week before his inauguration as the third President
of the Slovak Republic, I. Gašparovič met
the representation of the club (second from the left;
on the right, V. Masár, former Governor of the National
Bank of Slovakia; on the left, S. Hatina,
and behind him, the owner of the Kalea company,
K. Štefankovičová
At the end of summer 2002, leader of SMER, R. Fico,
in an exchange of opinions with the Chairman
of the Committee, S. Hatina, and Executive Deputy
Chairman, P. Kasalovský.
In autumn 1996, T. Bata came to Bratislava to collect the first prize from former
Czecho-Slovakia.

1994 Prof. K. Schwab, founder and president of the World Economic Forum
1994 M. Kučan, President of the Republic of Slovenia
1994 V. Masol, Ukrainian Prime Minister
1995 Prof. V. Klaus, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic
1996 J. Santer, President of the European Commission
1996 T. Bata, businessman, Canada
1997 sir L. Brittan, Vice-President of the European Commission
1997 H. Kohl, German chancellor
1997 A. Kvasniewski, Polish President
1998 D. Johnston, OECD Secretary-General
1998 R. Johnson, US Ambassador to Slovakia
1998 J. Naisbitt, political scientist, USA
1998 Prof. Jeffrey Sachs, economist, USA
1998 Voice of America
1998 F. Mayor, UNESCO Secretary-General
1999 H. Maucher, Chairman of the Board, Nestlé, AS,
Switzerland, and WEF Vice-President
1999 G. W. Bush, Governor of Texas, USA
2000 Z. Niemczycki, entrepreneur, representative
of Polish industry and trade
2000 F. Piech, Chairman of the Board, Volkswagen, AG, Germany
2001 V. Putin, President of the Russian Federation
2001 J. Chirac, French President
2001 G. Mueller, ISI President, USA
2002 Ph. Zepter, businessman, Monaco
2003 A. Hochleitner, main representative of Siemens for Central and Eastern Europe, Austria
2008 N. Nazarbayev, President of Kazachstan
2009 Prof. M. Yunus, the founder and the President of Grameen Bank, Bangladesh,
Nobel Piece Prize Laureate for 1996
2010 Prof. J. Keller, the Czech sociologist,
environmentalist, university pedagogue and a writer
2011 J. D. Wolfensohn, the former President of the World Bank
2012 J. Androsch, the former Austrian Vice-chancellor
and Minister of Finances
The first laureate of the prestigious prize of Golden Biatec was the
first President of the Slovak Republic, M. Kováč.
This honour was also given to Presidents R. Schuster and
I. Gašparovič. In 2001, Golden Biatec and honorary club rights
were granted to Ján Chryzostom Cardinal Korec. The prestigious
award the “Prominent of the Economy” went exceptionally to
foreign personalities – R. Chazbulatov, economist and scientist,
I. Melenec, French physician, and Jevgenij M. Primakov,
the former Russian Prime Minister.
ProMinent international laUreates
of the Golden Biatec annUal priZe:
Letter of WEF President, prof. K. Schwab, on club’s
actions before opening its discussion on the several-months’ topic No. 1,
New Thinking in the New World and in New Europe.
J. Naisbitt (to the right) speaks in 1998 what world they wanted and wished together
with the co-author of the bestseller Megatrends 2000, P. Aburden. Next to him, the
initiator of club’s activity, P. Kasalovský.

For more than a year and a half, we have thought it honest and essential to
openly talk about the future of Europe, the European Union, and its relations
with the US. Since autumn 2005, the meetings of our association – the Informal
Economic Forum Economic Club – have paid attention to these issues, which are
not only a matter of political leaders, but also the non-governmental and civil
sectors. The halting of EU institutional reform and, almost equally, the overall
state of the EU were the strongest impetus for our discussion on these issues under
the title “New Thinking in the New World and the New Europe”.
We are of the opinion that the new home for European nations and their
states, which was made attractive by many political legends of the 20th century,
in particular French President F. Mitterrand and German Chancellor H. Kohl,
is not being completed thoroughly and unreservedly. The process of European-
wide integration appears to lack the necessary support and energy in the quality
of the new relations within the EU organism. The EU should be a new home for
European nations and their states and its appeal has and will continue to be given
by the most precious values of our civilisation’s development. These are equality,
brotherhood and freedom, which always require proper attention, in particular
because they are always a necessary condition for a new quality of traditional and
generally known human ideals.
The real reasons why the process of approval of the European Constitution
has been blocked still have not been clearly expressed. How many leading
politicians from individual Member States, not to mention their citizens, know,
or at least guess, where the EU is going institutionally?! Why shouldn’t we
demand that political leaders ﬁnally give a statement on their particular idea of
the future of Europe and the EU?! We should ask what is being done for the sake
of the declared efforts and make an attempt at self-reﬂection – have we done too
little, just enough or more than enough? And this includes the issues of peace,
freedom, solidarity and joint management of affairs. We have tried to do this in
our discussions and many of us are of the opinion that politicians too often tend
to present the desired as the already accomplished.
Declaration of the IEF Economic Club
of 18 April 2007 on the Future of the EU and its Relations
with the United States to the National Council,
the Government and the President of the Slovak Republic,
the European Parliament and the European Commission

How well do we in the EU know each other? Are we closer to each other?
How many of us feel that they belong to their own nation and country, to Europe
and the EU, and to the part of mankind, which is democratically – out of the will
of the majority – changing the world for the better, eliminating evil and its causes?
Is the EU’s model of economic success actually realistic and functional?
How is it guaranteed? To what extent are the efforts centred on people? On what
basis do we believe that in terms of knowledge and culture, we are wealthier than
other parts of the world? We feel that the responsibility for global developments
lies not only with individual Member States, but also with the community of
EU Member States as a whole. Are we united in our views on conflict situations
or do we behave like the select few who have the right to judge others?
Are we dealing with them according to the degree of danger they pose or
according to our free will? Are the issues of climate change and consequences
of globalism really a priority in the actions of our leaders?
Poor efficiency of the executive power in confrontation with terrorism and
the world of crime have resulted in unacceptable interventions in human rights,
civil rights and even privacy. The failure of specific security solutions is ever more
frequently unreasonably ascribed to our inexperience. Regrettably, military action
continues to have a greater weight and power than cultural diplomacy. Are we,
in our conscience, helping to create a world that is economically and socially
better? How have we really mitigated the risk of international and regional
military conflicts? Are we really contributing to the eradication of hunger, poverty,
illiteracy and diseases, to which we committed ourselves almost 40 years ago?
Already a decade ago, we called on the Slovak Parliament and Government,
and in particular the representatives abroad, to increase information about our
obligations, our rights and the developments in European institutions, and we
have to repeat this appeal again. The lack of information causes lack of interest
in public affairs and leads to doubts, mistakes and wrong stances. Our friends,
partners and even competitors see us as a society with successful, well-targeted
reforms based on responsibility of the individual and overall exemplary economic
Beforethebeginningofthe196thclubevent,SpeakeroftheParliamentP.Paška,clubleaderP.Kasalovský,andCo-ChairmanoftheClubCommittee,S.Hatina.

dynamics. Nevertheless, the task of reducing our indebtedness and, above all,
coping with the historical challenge of spending only what we can produce,
will not be an easy thing to do.
The concept, the project and then the construction of the new home for
European nations and their states, have indeed been one of the wonders of our
civilisation. Its organisation and overall success is not only an important factor
of stability, but also an example of economic and social progress, multinational
civil society and peaceful development both in Europe and the world over. Still,
it needs better order and more self-discipline. Today, we can also see the needs of
the nearest future, when, as it seems, the need will arise to create a new quality of
relations and even harmonise the policy in the EU and its Member States with that
of the United States. Without such a strategy, ﬁnding solutions to global priorities,
in particular the environment and global security will be increasingly more
complex and problematic.
Ten years ago, on 23 May 1997, we unanimously adopted a declaration on
Slovakia’s membership of the EU and NATO. We reafﬁrmed the validity of its
content on 20 January 2003, when a section of the domestic and foreign public
seemed to underestimate their importance. Today, we reiterate that they are
a far-sighted solution to the development of relations between nations and their
states in Europe and the world. Still, we believe that substantial improvement
of the provision of information about the activities and intentions of European
institutions is a basic prerequisite for their viability. The urgent need to initiate
maximum support for comprehensive mutual convergence of the populations
of the Member States appears to be no less important. Institutional reform also
needs the opinions of the broadest possible layers of civil society and responsible
Europeans to be heard.
Before the beginning of the 196th club event, Speaker of the Parliament
P. Paška, club leader P. Kasalovský, and Co-chairman of the Club Committee,
S. Hatina.

Our association has been established eight months later than the nationally
sovereign Slovak Republic. Since August 1993, we annually award the feats and
unique work results in its favour on the basis of non-public selection and voting.
For almost eighteen years of our existence we have praised the domestic brain
and unique work results with the Golden Biatec altogether one hundred and ﬁfty
times, thereof three times the President of the republic and Prime Minister. There
were also the personalities from internal political scene and from seven political
parties in total (SMER SD and SDĽ, ĽS HZDS, SDKÚ- DS and SDK, KDH, SNS
and SMK) amongst the laureates every year. Despite the mutual respect, and in
many cases also despite membership, our permanent independence upon political
parties have become a problem for many of them. To sense and tolerate other
opinions and even to use them in a real life is rather exceptional in our domestic
politics.
We used to prepare discussion forums with the presence of the most
distinguished political forces or of the individual political parties and their leaders
for several times before the important internal political events and always before
Memorandum of Political and Human Responsibility
to Parliamentary Elections 2010
Telebridgeontopic„TheCivilResponsibilityoftheLeaders“withprof.M.Yunus,Bratislava-Dhaka,4June2010

the Slovakia National Council election in past. Today, seventeen days before
the parliamentary elections, we have the club meeting, however we turn to the
hitherto Golden Biatec laureates, the Prominent of Economy and winners of our
club internal polls with this Memorandum instead of the traditional discussion.
We are persuaded they can help the new government to immediately and in
particularly meaningfully approach the dealing with the nationwide problems.
We reckon that this is already the time for utilisation of the intellectual potential
of our citizens and proving we have the ability and will not to be only in a ruck,
but to be in the lead.
Several attempts from the side of the governmental establishments, political
parties and scientific workplaces to designate our economical and social
orientation has proven to be non-feasible. We always came to the conclusion that
when comparing our results with abroad, it is undoubtful we are noway special.
It is rather necessary to diversify the economics with other branches, in particular
food industry, tourism and the cutting-edge technologies than to enthuse over the
forecast of our leadership in economic growth this year and the next year within
the European Union. This shall allow us to prevent great economic fluctuations
against which the Slovakia has no protection for the time being. The support
of domestic production would be using „three Ps“.
Stagnation on the positions of positive forecasts, even if with the bay, would
revenge the quality of life that is far away from the desired condition.
It is essential to create tens of thousand new and permanent job opportunities
with totally new character. Furthermore, we may not postpone the complex
dealing with the problem of Slovak waters and in particular we should resolve
the saturation of our environment with rain water and its revaluation. We must
primarily manage the enforcement of law and to provide all citizens without
exception with the legal sureness and protection. We assume, however,
it is impossible without radical, prompt and efficient dealing with the problems
with the Roma ethnic community.
Telebridgeontopic„TheCivilResponsibilityoftheLeaders“withprof.M.Yunus,Bratislava-Dhaka,4June2010

Years ago we provided the political leaders with our outline of what they
should speak about in regards with the nearest and far-away future: the flats
– the roof over the head, health and physical fitness, morality and moral
power, erudition and cultured manners, safety and dignity of every citizen.
What was fulfilled till now out of what the politicians outlined or promised is just
we are not down on the luck more than the other ones in the EU.
Our objective is the wisdom of our people would become the counsellor or even
the closest colleague of the new governmental establishment. The slush in the
world economy and even some euro-zone countries and its persistence provide
us with no other possibility for now. We must help ourselves using the existing
domestic raw materials and sources, and also the traditions, in particular
by engaging the citizens to invest their money in the domestic projects.
We are before the parliamentary elections and the electoral campaign makes
us anxious in some ways. The new governmental establishment should start
sensing there are enough and to spare people wishing we move forward when
dealing with the generally outlined problems. Why the work in dealing with them
could put together the people and thus commence the real metamorphosis of
Slovakia at last? We have the concepts, even the procedures how to do that, but we
are, so to speak, more Slovak, than we think. We need to focus on our intention to
be better and the best ones once and for all.
Wave good by the mediocrity at long last, and in particular it is crucial to put the
kibosh on the devastation of interpersonal relations. Even today third follow-up
of club-wide discussion whether the economic and civilisation crisis ends or its
another restart is here has proven that when looking forward the forthcoming
days we have the entitlement to just one drop of optimism, if any.
Bratislava, 27 May 2010
For the association member group:
P. Kasalovský, J. Gabriel, E. Drobný, M. Kravčík, J. Šály, prof. M. Novák,
prof. J. Hinšt, J. Dlhopolček, prof. P. Krištufek, R. Y. Mosny, J. Dolník

Declaration to the integration attempts of the SR, 23. 5. 1997
Declaration to the designation of the Prime Minister of the SR, 7. 10. 2002
Declaration on the membership of the SR in the EU and NATO, 20. 1. 2003
Declaration of the three, 27. 9. 2004
Declaration on the future of the EU and its relations with the USA, 18. 4. 2007
The greatest wealth is water, 28. 2. 2008
About the Slovak and Hungarian relations in the 21st
century, 30. 10. 2008
Slovak waters for people, 24. 2. 2009
Message for the participants in the UN Climatic Change Conference
in Copenhagen, 29. 10. 2009
Memorandum to the parliamentary elections in 2010
About the Hamlet questions in Slovak space in the 21st
century, 8. 10. 2010
About the responsibility of political and social leaders, 21. 5. 2013
Declarations and incentives
of the association in 1997-2013

Informal Economic Forum – Economic Club Association
Founder and Administrator - Chairman
Peter Kasalovský
Chairman of the Committee
Ján Gabriel
Vice-chairmen of the Committee
Peter Kasalovský
Peter Hrinko
Terézia Lovíšková
Members
Zdeněk Dokulil (Czech Republic)
Juraj Dlhopolček
Rudolf Young Mosny (USA)
Ladislav Vaškovič
Štefan Boháček
Viktor Fjodorovič Dračinskij (Russian Federation)
Auditor
Ing. Lumír Ondrušek (Czech Republic)
INFO: www.hospodarskyklub.sk
Mail address: pkasalovsky@hospodarskyklub.sk
Post address:
NEF Hospodársky klub,
Topoľčianska 5
854 04 Bratislava
Slovak Republic
Mobile phone: 00421 903 711890
Partners:
Prvá stavebná sporitelňa, a.s.,
Bratislava
Compel Rail, a.s., Martin Merci, s.r.o., Prešov
CK HYDROTOUR, a.s.,
Bratislava
KÁVOMATY, s.r.o.,
Kežmarok
Polleo Partners, s.r.o.,
Bratislava

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