Paris is an enchanting metropolis of picture-postcard scenery on the banks of the Seine, steeped in history and teeming with remnants of the past, from the grandeur of its monuments to the smallest details of every street and square. These were inspiring surroundings for all the participants from political parties, youth organisations and NGOs from almost every European region who gathered to take part in this year’s ECPYN summer school. On the first official day, after all the participants had arrived safely in the French capital and checked into a city centre hostel, there was a welcome reception offered by Denys Dhiver, ECPYN board member, and host of the event. This was an opportunity for old and new ISS attendees to wine and dine, and gain information, joy and energy for the challenging and rewarding days ahead of them.

The professional part of the summer school started the following day, Tuesday: ‘Towards a new relationship between the private, public and sacred domains’ was a lecture given by Dr. Bart Labuschagne from The Netherlands, professor of philosophy of law at Leiden University. His was the first in a fascinating series of lecturers introducing an international approach on Christian policy. According to Dr. Bart, ‘It is in my view a matter of urgency that we come to a new understanding of the relationship between public and private, which essentially means that we should leave the worn-out liberal dichotomy of private/public behind us and aim at regarding society as a trichotomy.’ In his keynote address he introduced the main topics of the Summer School’s workshops: and Integration in Europe. A fruitful day of teamwork and insight into relevant topics of gravity was followed by a physical parallel later that afternoon: Foucault’s pendulum in the Panthéon was a highlight of a sightseeing trip in the heart of Paris, together with a tour of the interior of Saint-Louis des Invalides.

An interactive session opened on Wednesday by welcoming Christine Boutine, leader of the French Christian Democratic Party (Parti Chrétien-Démocrate), and candidate for the next presidential election in 2012. Inspired by this, lively dialogue continued when the ISS participants split into project groups to face the challenge of the week: outlining a strategy for various election campaigns with a PR leaflet and a promotional presentation. Here Christian creativity proved to be unsurpassable in political marketing also. This summer school in Western Europe also offered the floor to politicians from the other side of the continent – including Georgi Rukhadze from Georgia, International Secretary of the Christian Democratic Movement of Georgia (CDM), and lecturer at Ilia State University. He portrayed the prevalence of secularisation in his home country as the burdensome heritage of the former Soviet Union, and stated that it also appeared to be an oppressive element in most Eastern European states formerly under communist rule.

As Napoleon Bonaparte said, ‘An army marches on its stomach’, and the ISS proved his point. This may be not always the case, however – especially in the Bastille Day parade down the Avenue des Champs-Elysees on 14 July. On Thursday morning, hundreds of armed French troops led by President Sarkozy and a fly-past of military aircraft provided a truly French experience for all participants, who themselves were also armed later in the day – this time with specialist hints. Four workshops led by professionals offered a wide range of training opportunities, from interesting areas of European policy such as local political anchoring, to Socratic dialogue, and ways of influencing parliamentary work. The day ended with a breathtaking firework display, which brought to an end the official events for the French National Day.

On the last official day participants were given their most challenging task; they were asked to put all their experience at the ISS to use in identifying adequate responses to the topic of ‘Integration and Enlargement in the EU’. The product was not only in words but also in deeds: a substantial summer course ended with two working groups putting forward their thoughts in a plenary session on the designated portfolios in the European Parliament. This was excellent training for the role of the ECPYN’s future Christian politicians in real European platforms.

The conference resulted in two policy statements, on Future Enlargement of the European Union and Immigration Policy. These called for well-balanced and respectful enlargement, and a clearer and more equitable treatment of immigrants coming to Europe.

The 8th Summer School has also given the ECPYN the unique opportunity to spread its message about policies on secularisation, and on integration for a stronger Europe in the interest of all countries. It has gained backing to promote related youth initiatives as part of a political agenda driven by Christian principles, as this is the only path for a better Europe.