In its 12th edition, The State of the Union 2022 will address sustainability and resilience, democracy and the Rule of Law, as well as developments in attitudes to migration, the future of digitalisation, and how crises can fuel change.
During The State of the Union, prominent speakers will discuss what steps need to be taken to equip the EU to deal with challenges such as greening the economy, demographic change, fiscal integration, and participatory democracy. Looking beyond Europe, the conference will feature panels on the future of transatlantic relations, Africa’s emerging role on the global stage, and political developments in the Western Balkans. Dedicated sessions will zoom in on the war in Ukraine and its implications for the European Union’s role on the global stage.
The list of confirmed speakers includes IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, EU High-Representative/European Commission Vice-President Josep Borrell-Fontelles, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The programme also features Spanish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Ecology Teresa Ribera Rodríguez, European Commission Vice-President for Values and Transparency Věra Jourová, European Commissioner for the Economy Paolo Gentiloni, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency Fatih Birol, Member of the European Parliament Eva Maydell, and many other policy leaders and academics.
On Thursday, 5 May 2022, the sessions of The State of the Union will take place at the EUI’s Badia Fiesolana, while participants will reconvene in the historic setting of Palazzo Vecchio in the heart of Florence on Friday, 6 May 2022. While most speakers and a selected audience will participate in person, a larger group of participants will engage via an online platform. The entire conference will also be livestreamed.
On Saturday 7 May 2022, the public will be able to visit the EUI’s Villa Salviati and the Historical Archives of the European Union. Guided by our partner Fondo Ambiente Italiano (FAI), visitors will tour the beautiful grounds and buildings of the historic villa and enter the state-of-the-art vaults where Europe’s memory is preserved.
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