The State of the Union—Europe in a Changing World

06 - 07 May 2021

The next edition of The State of the Union will take place in Florence between Thursday 6 May and Saturday 8 May 2021. The forthcoming edition will mark the tenth anniversary of the European University Institute’s flagship conference which over the past decade has firmly established itself as a key forum for discussion and debate on the most pertinent issues facing Europe and Europeans

09:00
-
17:45
Invitation only

The European University Institute (EUI) will celebrate the occasion with a dynamic hybrid event which will bring together world leaders, diplomats, policy makers, academics, and civil society representatives to debate and reflect on the theme ‘Europe in a Changing World’ before a global audience.

The conference will address the challenges and opportunities for Europe amidst rising concerns over global commons and the climate emergency, a shifting economic and geopolitical power balance, major challenges to multilateralism, and the ongoing global battle against COVID-19.

Europe’s role on the global stage will be tackled across sessions on artificial intelligence, climate, geopolitics, the global economy, multilateralism, peace and human rights, public health, and strategic autonomy.

MEDAM-related session:

Equal and effective partners? The future of EU-Africa and EU-Turkey cooperation
on migration and refugee protection, Thursday 6 May, 16:00-16:50 (CEST)

Moderator:

Martin Ruhs

Speakers:

  • Francisco André, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Portugal
  • Abdelhak Bassou, Senior Fellow, Policy Center for the New South
  • Cathryn Costello, Professor of Fundamental Rights, Co-Director of Centre for Fundamental Rights, Hertie School
  • Kemal Kirişci, Non-resident Senior Fellow, Center on the United States and Europe’s Turkey Project, Brookings

More information about speakers and the full conference program can be found here.