The General Assembly of Cooperatives Europe just took place in early June in Antalya, Türkiye, bringing together cooperative leaders from across the continent to discuss political priorities, future strategies, and shared values for a strong cooperative voice in Europe.
One of the key outcomes of the assembly was the election of Giuseppe Guerini as the new President of Cooperatives Europe. A long-standing advocate of the cooperative movement, Guerini also serves as President of CECOP–CICOPA Europe and is a member of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). He succeeds Petar Stefanov (CCU Bulgaria) in this role.
“We are facing profound transformations in all cooperative sectors. Cooperatives Europe must be present and active in shaping these changes – defending economic democracy, strengthening policy dialogue, and making the cooperative voice heard,” said Guerini in his inaugural remarks.
The IRU warmly congratulates Mr. Guerini on his election.
We are also pleased to share that Andreas Kappes, Secretary General of the IRU, has been re-elected to the Cooperatives Europe Board, representing the IRU member organisation DGRV – German Cooperative and Raiffeisen Confederation. His renewed mandate ensures the continued representation of our joint cooperative values and principles within the European cooperative agenda — particularly during the currently running International Year of Cooperatives 2025.
We congratulate all elected colleagues of the Cooperatives Europe Board.
This year’s General Assembly programme further focused on pressing issues such as:
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🌱 Cooperative resilience to external challenges, with stories of crisis response and inclusive recovery,
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🧠 Internal challenges such as cooperative education, identity, and impact measurement,
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🤝 Strengthening the cooperative movement’s role in European political dialogue.
With a renewed board and strong cooperative momentum, Cooperatives Europe is well positioned to guide the sector through upcoming challenges and shape a more inclusive, democratic, and sustainable future.
