On the afternoon of 29 April, students and researchers from the EUI and the University of Florence came together for the final event of EU Talks - Dialogues on the Future of Europe, discussing their proposals and projects in the presence of the public, the President of the Florence City Council, Mr. Cosimo Guccione, and Council Member, Mrs. Letizia Ferini.
EU Talks is a collaborative project involving the EUI's student-led initiative Ponte Europa, Europe Direct Florence, and the University of Florence, which aims to raise the voices of students, allowing them to express ideas, concerns, and proposals on how EU policies affect our daily lives.
The event "brings academia, young people, and legislators together to deliberate, brainstorm and engage with one another," shared Alexander Schuster, EUI researcher at the EUI Law Department and Ponte Europa’s coordinator.
During the event, organised together with the Municipality of Florence, and with support from the EUI Library's European Documentation Centre, Library Director Pep Torn emphasised the importance of inclusive platforms such as EU Talks, "especially in a society that is increasingly fragmented, polarised, and vulnerable to disinformation." In fact, EU Talks provides an important space where "critical reflection, open debate, and informed thinking can find a home," shared Torn. In this context, "universities, research centres, archives, and libraries are not merely 'places' of knowledge: they are the infrastructure of democracy," he added.
This year's edition of EU Talks focused on three main topics: the EU and the international scenario, the EU and the social model, and the EU and the development of AI. Students and researchers explored several aspects related to the defence, security, environmental, social, and technology concerns, presenting examples and proposals to overcome issues and improve the current scenario.
In particular, the group on 'Social Europe', coordinated by Alexander Schuster, presented on the issue of the housing market and the difficulty for many people across the continent to afford expensive rents. A problem that "fosters an increasing injustice, pushing the working-class out of cities, with people with higher incomes having easier access to any form of housing and many people, such as students, having to suffer and not be able to live in the city where they study," said Schuster.
This initiative was inspired by the Conference on the Future of Europe, a democratic exercise launched by the European Union to engage citizens in shaping its future. The conference invited people across Europe to share their perspectives with institutions, fostering dialogue around key challenges, opportunities, and visions for the EU's development.