Seminar was financially supported by the European union.
Seminar was attended by 65 participants, including 4 interpreters and 1 technician. Following EZA partner-organizations participated – NKOS, ZKRS, KAB. Number of foreign participatns: Poland 1, Germany 1, Austria 1, Slovakia 15, Ukraine 2, Czechia 40 participants–KAP members. A total of 12 presentations were presented by speakers from Poland (1), Germany (1), Austria (1), S(1), Ukrajiny (2) a z České republiky (6).
The aim of the seminar was to evaluate growth of society’s well-being which is reflected in the long-term growth of people’s purchasing power. European countries have long experienced economic development, which led to an increase in the population’s purchasing power. However, the current crisis, the accompanying phenomenon of which is the highest inflation in EU countries for many years (some even decades), is leading to a decrease in the purchasing power of a large part of the population – this especially applies to socially weaker groups and employees. At the same time, this development deepens income and wealth disparities between individuals or regions within individual countries. In addition to disparities within individual countries, there is disproportion across EU countries; current inflation affects post-socialist economies more, either because of their higher energy dependence on Russia or because of nominal convergence.
The added value of the seminar was a better understanding of the consequences associated with high and unpredictable inflationary developments. These insights can be used to create a Christian-social policy that enables workers’ rights to be defended, social peace to be ensured, and inflationary pressures in the economy to be reduced through responsible fiscal policy. This seminar contributed to a better understanding of the mentioned consequences within tripartite negotiations and collective bargaining framework.
Program:
Friday panel included six contributions looking at inflation from different perspectives. Inflation was viewed as a global challenge that deepens changes in consumer behavior (Lidmila Němcová) and as a significant cause of redistribution in society with the greatest negative impact on the poorer population in the Czech Republic (Michal Mádr) and Slovakia (Ľubica Černá). The phenomenon of inflation was put into a long-term world context with the development of the standard of living (Richard Pospíšil) and further, it was presented how the observed phenomenon is related to the transformation of the source of wealth and how it influenced the view of the concept of useful work (Marko-Bohdan Kalynyak). An example from practice was a contribution focused on the effects of inflation on the social policy and social cohesion on the example of a company that employs disabled citizens (Olga Rosenbergerová).
Saturday program included two discussion panels in Brno. The first one took place in the Czech National Bank branch, where there was discussed the role of central banks in price stability maintenance. The second one took place in the Augustinian abbey.
Sunday panel was primarily devoted to inflationary developments in the German economy, both current trends (Miriam Catulo), and the German hyperinflation 1920s (Kazimierz Falak). Both contributions made it possible to highlight similarities and differences in the causes and consequences of inflation using the example of Germany, the most crucial European economy. At the same time, both contributions dealt with the reaction of the German government and the government’s ability to stabilize price developments in the given country. The contributions also discussed how a higher inflation rate could lead to the growth of radical parties through the reduction of voter confidence in the democratic system, which is important in the context of current developments not only in the Federal Republic of Germany. This panel was supplemented by a third contribution, which offered the perspective of Catholic social teaching on the division of labour in the context of global challenges, including inflationary developments (Bolek Vraný, KAP board member).
Křesťan a práce, z. s. Czech Republic EZA-European Centre for Workers’ Questions
Programme of the KAP Seminar in Velehrad, September 20 to 22, 2024 Funded by the European Union as EZA project No. 40-02-24-SE “Inflation and loss of purchasing power“
Panel 1, moderated by Radek Náplava, PhD., FBE MENDELU, KAP Assoc. Prof. Lidmila Němcová, KAP board member – Inflation and consumer behaviour dr. Michal Mádr, FBE MENDELU, KAP – Economic and political impacts of inflation
15.00
Coffee break
15.30
Prof. Richard Pospíšil, UPOL – Inflation phenomenon and living standard
16.15
Assoc. Prof. Pavel Žufan, FBE MENDELU, KAP – Work inequalities in later life redefined by digitalization
16.35
Marko-Bohdan Kalynyak, Andrii Levyk, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine – Sources of wealth and the concept of useful work
17.00
Coffee break
17.30
Mgr. Olga Rosenbergerová, vice-chair of EAPN in CZ – Lost in today’s world – Social cohesion and social state
18.00
Assoc. Prof. Ľubica Černá, President of NKOS Slovakia – Impact of inflation on families – experience from Slovakia
18.30
Dinner at Stojanov House
Saturday
21. 9. 2024
7.30
Breakfast at Stojanov House
8.30
Departure by bus to Brno
10.00
Panel 2, moderated by Prof. Lubor Lacina, KAP
Czech national bank, Brno – discussion session: Role of central banks in maintaining price stability
12.30
Lunch
14.00
Panel 3, moderated by Prof. Lubor Lacina, KAP Villa Stiassni,
roundtable: Role of Czechoslovak currency and its stability in the between-war period and impact of German hyperinflation
17.00
Departure back to Velehrad
19.30
Dinner at Stojan´s Grammar School, Velehrad
Sunday
22. 9. 2024
8.00
Breakfast at Stojanov House
9.00
Panel 4, moderated by Michal Mádr, Ph.D., FBE MENDELU, KAP
Opening word summarizing the first two days of the programme by Prof. Lacina
9.20
Boleslav Vraný, PhD., KAP – Labour Division in the Church Social Teaching Context
10.00
Coffee break
10.20
Foreign participants’ panel Miriam Catullo, KAB Aachen, Germany – Income sources and inflation Maga. Gabriele Kienesberger, KABÖ Austria – Models and perspectives for a future of fair caring in the light of fair wages Kazimierz Falak, Poznan University, Poland – Lessons from German inter-war hyperinflation Mag. Barbara Mayrhofer, SIIAEC, KAV Wien, Austria – Modernized operations and stronger organization’s resilience by introducing new services
12.00
Conclusions of the seminar Jiří Konečný Lubor Lacina Pavel Žufan
12.30
Lunch at Stojanov House
Departure of participants
Organizational information Registration of participants: Stojanov Pilgrimage House, ground floor Venue: Slavonic Hall of Stojan´s Grammar School Catering and accommodation: Stojanov Pilgrimage House, dining room Foreign participants: Skanzen Velehrad Hotel Information Centre in Velehrad Interpreting into English and German
Jiří Konečný, Chairman of KAP Marie Čapková, Vice-Chairwoman of KAP Lubor Lacina, seminar guarantor, KAP
This year’s topic was “European elections 2024 and beyond: European democracy and the EU’s social dimension at stake”, and the conference was held in Brussels. Our association was represented there, and thus we can share the link to the EZA report including links to the particular presentations: https://www.eza.org/en/spalte-1/eza-in-bruessel/bruesselkonferenzen/bruessel-konferenz-2024.