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Institutions established in the times when political order looked absolutely different have to respond to challenges of the XXI century - said Benjamin R. Barber, philosopher and political scientist during the last EFNI session, named „Europe at the crossroads". Countries are incapable of dealing with global issues.

In the face of challenges of the XXI century, current order is, however, old-fashioned. Nowadays, threats, e.g. terrorism or climate are of global character and they have to be solved without competition of the nation-states. States are not able to handle global challenges. Therefore, the opportunity is to step down from the state level to the municipal level. If mayors ruled the world, it would be more flexible and cope with the issues more efficiently. As Barber remarked, currently Europe and the world suffer from five crises. These are: irresponsibility crisis of financial markets, multiculturalism, which we cannot accept, necessity to handle ecology issues, social and ethnic inequality and the fact that work is becoming redundant since technologies need no workplaces.

Maciej Witucki, the panel moderator, President of Telekomunikacja Polska, sketched the image of the world, which is at the crossroads. Identification of paths, which it may go along is needed in order to create proper scenarios. Europe is to rise to this challenge - thus it is more important to understand what components contribute to the global order now, and what trends and uncertainties we will be dealing with in the nearest future.

Fro Günter Verheugen, the challenge is to build up a management system that will enable to solve global problems in an efficient manner. The question is: how should the global collaboration look like. The answer is not questioning the European integration. Unluckily, the EU enlargement is a scapegoat, frequently blamed for incompetency of national politicians. Yet, Europe has to expand and be strong in order to maintain its position. The former Commissioner also focused on the threat meant as the developing cyber world and technology, we are no longer able to control and it starts to control us.

The supporter of the European integration is also professor Aleksander Smolar. According to him, the best direction of developing and strengthening of the Europe's position in the world. However, at the same time this is the largest challenge.

For professor Gesine Schwan, the Chancellor of Humboldt-Viadrina School of Governance, the key questions are: how to develop freedom and where to find leaders? It is necessary to search for the new order, working on the civil society's objectives. Furthermore, the crucial element is equilibrium and care for mandatory competitiveness as well as cooperation, family, respect. It is unlikely to establish new frames when neglecting trust between social partners.

Sustainability is also bolstered by Stephen Kai Wong, Director of Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Berlin. Gates to satisfy world's expectations, i.e. its citizens, are concern about sustainability and elaborating on ways to use technologies for in-depth globalization.