Bálint Magyar State Secretary For Development Policy Prime Minister's Office The Government Leaders Forum 2008, Europe

Bottlenecks technological – will be removed financial – manageable cultural – new focus political – never talked about Are governments part of the problem or part of the solution? 2

The Government Leaders Forum 2008, EuropeIllustration Medieval Monastery Book Helpdesk MedievalMonastery Book Helpdesk YouTube: monastery book helpdesk 3

The Government Leaders Forum 2008, Europe Paradigm Change Problems with lack of understanding: Can one think of the unthinkable? Can two-dimensional beings be requested to think in three dimensions? 4

The Government Leaders Forum 2008, Europe From Stock Society to Flow Society Cycle of change is shorter than term of government; due to campaign logic risks are minimalised →conservative promises You can’t jump twice through the same Windows Stock Society One-off investment, constant preservation From Creation to the building of communism Past perfect tense Flow Society Constant change Evolution Present perfect continous tense 5

The Government Leaders Forum 2008, Europe Problems of political decision makers Generational problem: gap between political decision-makers and early adapters of new technologies Problem of products: virtual, evasive, resists political populism Problem of needs: government should respond to widely unrecognized needs 6

The Government Leaders Forum 2008, Europe Political consequences Contradiction between hunt for votes and future building Neo-luddite populism and anti-globalism Segmented bureaucratic system, bumpy cooperation vs. global, integrated market networks 7

The Government Leaders Forum 2008, Europe False government system responses New technologies are used to conserve old mechanisms Government programmes serve to spread outdated technologies without modernising the context of use Government orders only respond but not urge development 8

The Government Leaders Forum 2008, Europe What governments should be attentive to Continuous upgrading of state assignments and comprehensive state provision systems, (public administration, education, health care, etc.) Central projects and financial initiatives must focus on needs not yet interiorized on a large scale Continuous normative budget support to be granted to amortization and updating of equipment serving already interiorized needs 9

The Government Leaders Forum 2008, Europe Human interface LLL + digital literacy = Upgraded Labour Force

The Government Leaders Forum 2008, Europe Tasks facing Europe I. Right of access to information is not enough - equal opportunities should be ensured Establishment of communal spaces where free access to the Internet and other facilities are available HOMEless - NETless 11

The Government Leaders Forum 2008, Europe Tasks facing Europe II. Common content regulations: – EQF (European Qualification Framework), – Bologna Process, – ECECE (Educational Content Exchange Centre for Europe) Free access to basic content Tearing down virtual Berlin walls 12

The Government Leaders Forum 2008, Europe Tasks facing Europe III. Radical restructuring of European Union funding. Less „pomme de terre” – more „Terra bytes” 13

The Government Leaders Forum 2008, Europe Governments can do the most to become part of the solution, rather than part of the problem. Thank you for your attention! 14