The Free Market Road Show Event in Iasi had, like every year, a large audience. The Central University Library Mihai Eminescu hosted more than 400 students from the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, within the Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi. Most of them are enrolled in the first year of study and it was their first participation in the Free Market Road Show event. Moreover, we gladly welcomed our longest-serving students, which are now master or PhD students. They told us that the ideas put forward and the overall atmosphere are the reasons dictating their constant participation in the event. The debate was as interesting as every year. They believe in the liberal values and they would like to promote them.

The topic of the two panels referred to the rhetorical question of liberty in Europe and the pitfalls of nationalism and of populism.

Mr. Frederico Fernandez opened the event. He spoke about the Free Market Road Show’s values and warned about the deepening of the United Europe’s problems. He invited the students to apply for an internship at the Austrian Economic Centre in Vienna.

Ioana Albulescu, the representative of the sponsor – Iulius – spoke about the power of transformation generated by the private initiative, even if the starting point was the communist heritage. She provided the example of the Palas Ensemble and asked the public “to believe in the power of entrepreneurship and also invest your time in the ideas you believe in.”   

Mr. John Chisholm described the Romanian challenges and, at the same time, he offered a series of solutions like “discover the worst regulation in Romania and eliminate them… use special economic zones … increase the net number of entrepreneurs creating or moving to Romania… use organic rather than imposed regulation… keep the EU focused on the four freedoms.”

Mr. Nima Sanandaji discussed about Romania’s opportunities and about its strong knowledge-intensive sector, one of its biggest assets. The level of prosperity can be improved by free market reforms and the rule of low. “Romania is a fantastic country but the government is the problem. Corruption of the government is the problem; and empowering Bucharest is a problem… What needs to be improved in Romania is less state control, more individual control.”

Miss Gloria Alvarez, the 3^rd speaker of the panel “Is there freedom in Europe?” discussed about the importance of freedom, arguing that we generally have the illusion of liberty, which is paid by high taxes and state interventionism. “For some people, the idea that a government is taking care of them is way better than being free… Communism and socialism constitute a terrible idea that never dies, because there is always going to exist people willing to trade freedom for security… I think that young people like yourselves, in order not to get trapped in these seducing solutions of socialism and totalitarian governments, the best thing you can do is study economics and study history.”  

The second panel was dedicated to populism and nationalism discussions. It started with Mr. Frederico Fernandez’s speech about the catastrophic situation of Venezuela, a champion in populist speeches where “socialism is totally destroying the society.  There is nothing more antisocial than socialism.” 

The panel continued with Mr. Lucian Balanuta and Mrs. Alina Luchian’s presentations about the double discourse of politicians, the antagonism between them and us. Lucian Balanuta pointed out that “Populists claim to speak for the ordinary people, taking an “us versus them” stance, fuelling polarization among a society which can be already very polarized.”   

Mrs Alina Luchian offered examples of speeches delivered by politicians, and analysed the values put forward in each of them. 

The Friedrich von Hayek Institute Romania is proud to be a part of the Free Market Road Show family and is happy to involve students in debates that support the ideas and values of freedom.