News & Events

Jan Švejnar in Discussion with Jeffrey Sachs

15. 10. 2020 Forum 2000 Conference

On 14 October Jan Švejnar was a guest speaker at Forum 2000 Conference - an annual discussion of global political, intellectual, spiritual, and business leaders founded by former Czech President Václav Havel, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Elie Wiesel, and philanthropist Yohei Sasakawa.

Jan Švejnar, together with Jeffrey Sachs, were invited to share their views in the debate entitled: "Can we take advantage of the disasters? The economic priorities for a new world."

Both distinguished speakers focused on the implications of the COVID-19 crisis for the future. Among other things, Jan Švejnar said that the governments all around the world were trying to support the economy in response to the pandemic. Stimulating the economy is now more important than the fear of future debt, he claimed.

Full debate is available on this (59:30)

The idea for the Forum 2000 Conference originated in 1997, when former Czech President Václav Havel, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Elie Wiesel, and philanthropist Yohei Sasakawa invited world leaders to Prague to discuss the challenges humanity was facing on the threshold of a new millennium. Since then, Forum 2000 evolved into a successful and widely recognized conference series, where distinguished guests continue to address a diverse international community on topics ranging from religious dialogue to human rights and national security.