Marija Simić and Djordje Jovicevic are the winners of the Vienna IV 2014. On Sunday, the team Belgrado in Closing Government won the final round with the motion: „This House believes that no state, in any situation, has the right to demand, encourage or promote its citizens to fight or die for their country.“

The following teams broke into the final:

• OG: Warsaw A (Karolina Partyga, Maja Łukomska)
• OO: Vermont GW (Rebecca White, Mariel Golden)
• CG: Belgrado (Marija Simić, Djordje Jovicevic)
• CO: Vermont SS. (Jacob Senghas, Franny Solnick)

The CAs of the Vienna IV Stefan Zweiker, Christine Simpson and Nicole Loiter with the winners Marija Simić and Djordje Jovicevic (l. to r.)
(c) DK Wien

With 96 teams participating in the tournament, the Vienna IV is presumably the biggest international tournament in Europe after EUDC. The tournament also provided a small foretaste of EUDC 2015, for Debattierklub Wien, the host of the Vienna IV, will also organise the EUDC 2015. For example, participants could already see the new Campus that will be the venue for next year.

The Vienna IV 2014 Chief Adjudicators were Christine Simpson (UCD/Ireland), future CA of the EUDC 2015 and 5th best speakers at WUDC 2013, Nicole Loiter (RRIS/Israel), CA of the Israeli English Cup and Stefan Zweiker (DKWien/Austria), breaking judge at many international tournaments and CA of the Vienna Freshers’ 2012 and Vienna Mini 2013.

The tab of the Vienna IV 2014 is awailable online.

The motions of the preliminary rounds and the final (not the exact wording) read:

1st round: This house believes that NGOs should reject sponsorship from companies who don’t act in accordance with the NGO’s aims.

2nd round: THBT that in cases, where it is the doctor’s choice and where both aims are mutually exclusive, doctors should prioritise prolonging life over the quality of that life.

3rd round: THBT that Vienna should devote Ottakring to immigrants from Eastern Europe.

4th round: THBT that the EU and the US should support the Russian annexation of the Crimea in exchange for an otherwise independent Ukraine.

5th round: This house would allow its citizens to participate in the Thirst Games.

6th round: THW support nations marketing themselves as places for Good Time Tourism (e.g. sex tourism, drug tourism).

Quarter: Given a machine that can predict a person’s life 95% accurately, THW not use it.

Semi: THBT media aimed at children should reject the „happily ever after“ model and show a more realistic picture.

Final: THBT no state, in any situation, has the right to demand, encourage or promote its citizens to fight or die for their country

nbo/kem