The fact that approximately 300 meetings were held in Athens from 4^th-7^th May 2006 and were organised by hundreds collectives from all over Europe shows that the European Social Forum is the biggest and most pluralist European laboratory of radical ideas. The variety of the topics that were discussed in the European Social Forum proves not only the vigour, but also the depth of its reflections. Therefore, it is confirmed that the European Social Forum is not only a meeting point of various resistance and a body for the international co-ordination of movements. Having contributed to the collective process of the configuration of its program and having a clear view of the way it was materialised we have to make the following observations:

1. The overall program of 4^th European Social Forum reflected a movement that is mass and radical. The seminars and the workshops of the Forum demonstrated the anger and the hope of the people who fight in Europe against war, neoliberalism and racism.

2. We consider that the program of Athens respected the pluralist character of the European Social Forum. After a long period of disputes and criticisms, it was proved again that the Forum is open to all the viewpoints that are developed in the movements. Moreover, it was evident that it constitutes a process where every collective is given the space it needs independently of its size.

3. The great participation in the seminars showed that a lot of discussions were particularly interesting and, apart from the activists, a wider public was motivated to attend. These discussions did not only touch upon important social matters but they were distinguished by the wealth of their ideas. It was the first time that such a mass process of political dialogue had ever been held in Greece.

4. In Athens, we made small, albeit important, steps towards building truly European resistance networks. Furthermore, there were seminars that were attended by the majority of the people who dealt with a specific matter (e.g. precarious employment) and for the first time there were concrete results (e.g. public services).

5. Unfortunately, in Athens as well we had our share in the propaganda seminars. It should be clear by now that the seminars of a Forum —apart from all else— should give space to dialogue. It is also evident that we cannot proceed in coercive unifications. However, it is equally evident that 210 seminars are too many.

6. The national particularities and the current political occurence in each country were again underestimated when the time had come for the European mobilisations. Neither the Forum in his totality, nor the individual networks can function ignoring the fact that a European mobilisation cannot be organised with an administrative decision from above without a prior consultation process in a national level.

7. Although at this moment it is impossible to organise the so-called “PLENARIES”, every national organising committee should be given the chance to shape the events that would facilitate the connection of the European Social Forum with the local society.