New Europe: What Shape Will it Take?

 

The Warsaw Office of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) and Danuta Hübner, MEP are pleased to invite you to conference:

New Europe: What Shape Will it Take?

June 8th between 10:00 and 16:00
in Polonia Palace Hotel, Al. Jerozolimskie 45

The idea for the conference came out of a realization that the European Union has entered one of the crucial moments in its history. A growing wave of populism makes it obvious that the European project cannot regain its vitality without engaging citizens. Overlapping crises, accompanied by various challenges from outside, should become an impulse to rethink what is the Union and what it can become. During the conference we will discuss how to make Europe more inclusive, secure and globally responsible. These intertwined challenges need a proper recognition and a multifaceted response.

As our panelists, we have invited the prominent members of the European Parliament, politicians, experts, as well as representatives of business community and the civil society. They will share with us their knowledge and their personal visions of the future of Europe. A special attention will be given to the case of western Balkans as a test for cohesion of the Union in a difficult geopolitical context and the readiness for enlargement while keeping the European values intact.

Programme:
10:00-10:45 – Registration
10:45-11:15 – Welcoming:
* Prof. Danuta Hübner, PhD, MEP, Chair of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO)
* Piotr Buras, European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), Head of Warsaw Office

11:15-13:15 – Panel discussion: Europe: inclusive, secure and globally responsible
Moderator: prof. Danuta Hübner, PhD
* Prof. Maria João Rodrigues, PhD, MEP, Vice-Chair, Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats
* Prof. Jerzy Hausner, PhD, former Polish Minister of Economy
* Prof. Gesine Schwan, PhD, former President of Viadrina University
* Marek Dietl, CEO of the Warsaw Stock Exchange
* Rem Korteweg, PhD, Clingendael Research
* Revd Rüdiger Noll, Executive Secretary, Oikosnet Europa

13:15-14:00 – Lunch break
14:00-15:45 – Panel discussion: Case study. EU and Western Balkans: Cohesion, Geopolitics and Values
Moderator: Piotr Buras
* Maciej Popowski, Deputy Director-General for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, European Commission
* Vessela Tcherneva, Deputy Director at ECFR and Head of ECFR Sofia Office
* Hedvig Morvai, Executive Director at the European Fund for Balkans

15:45-16:00 – Concluding remarks
* prof. Danuta Hübner, PhD
* Piotr Buras, ECFR Warsaw

The debate will be held in Polish and English – simultaneous translation will be available. Please confirm your participation by June 6th via the online registration form.