As liberal democracy faces an urgent crisis and EUrope stands at a turning point, the EPC brings together leading voices to confront the forces undermining democracy, from rising authoritarianism and disinformation to economic, social, and digital disruption.

Executive Vice-President of the European Commission Ribera and Commissioner McGrath, other speakers and participants will explore how we can renew trust, strengthen resilience, and defend democratic values at home and abroad. 

Programme
 

14.00-14.10     Welcome

• Brigid Laffan, President, European Policy Centre 

14.10-14.40     Opening Keynote Speech: Europe’s democratic challenge

• Michael McGrath, European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection

       Followed by Q&A

14.40-15.35     Panel Discussion: Liberal democracy under threat

• Senem Aydin Düzgit, Director, Istanbul Policy Center
• Ana Catarina Mendes, Member of the European Parliament
• Amanda Sloat, Former Europe Adviser to President Biden; Professor of Practice, IE University
• Janis A. Emmanouilidis, Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Studies, European Policy Centre

      Followed by Q&A

15.35-16.00     Coffee Break

16.00-16.55     Parallel Breakout Sessions: Liberal democracy – under threat across policy areas

Europe’s next enlargement: A geopolitical bet on democracy

• Florian Bieber, Director, Centre for South-East European Studies, University of Graz
• Jovana Marović, Former Deputy Prime Minister & European Affairs Minister of Montenegro  
• Daniela Morari, Ambassador of the Republic of Moldova to the EU
• Veronika Movchan, Academic Director, Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting, Ukraine 
• Corina Stratulat, Associate Director and Head of the European Politics and Institutions programme, European Policy Centre 
• Johannes Greubel, Senior Policy Analyst, Head of Programme and ‘Connecting Europe’ Project Lead, European Policy Centre (Moderator) 

Fighting the backlash: Defending climate and equality

• Richard Youngs, Senior Fellow in Democracy, Conflict, and Governance, Carnegie Europe
• Javier Carbonell, Policy Analyst, European Politics and Institutions Programme, European Policy Centre
• Thais Goncalves, Policy Coordinator for the Social Climate Fund, European Commission
• Elisabetta Cornago, Assistant Director, Centre for European Reform
• Stefan Sipka, Senior Policy Analyst and Head of the Sustainable Prosperity for Europe programme, European Policy Centre (Moderator)

Welfare in the age of illiberalism: What future for inclusive societies?

• Abir Al-Sahlani, Member of the European Parliament
• Katarina Ivankovic-Knezevic, Director for Social Rights and Inclusion, DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, European Commission  
• Elizabeth Kuiper, Associate Director and Head of the Social Europe and Well-being programme, European Policy Centre 
• Alberto-Horst Neidhardt, Senior Policy Analyst and Head of European Migration and Diversity programme, European Policy Centre (Moderator) 

Democracy on the edge? How technology is testing EUrope’s values

• Alex Agius Saliba, Member of the European Parliament 
• Tami Hoffman, Director of Public Policy, The Guardian  
• Renate Nikolay, Deputy Director-General of DG CNECT, European Commission 
• Johnny Ryan, Director of Enforce, Irish Council for Civil Liberties   
• Giulia Torchio, Policy Analyst, European Policy Centre 
• Ben Wreschner, Chief Economist and Head of Public Affairs, Vodafone Group 
• Georg Riekeles, Associate Director and Head of Europe's Political Economy programme, European Policy Centre (Moderator) 

16:55-17.00     Transition to Plenary

17.00-17.15     Keynote Speech

• Taras Kachka, Deputy Prime Minister for Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine

       Followed by Q&A

17.15-18.05     Panel Discussion: Outlook for liberal democracy in 2026

• Ilhan Hyuchyuk, Member of the European Parliament
• Almut Möller, Director for European and Global Affairs, European Policy Centre
• Daniela Schwarzer, Executive Board Member, Bertelsmann Stiftung
• Lisa Witter, CEO, Better Politics Foundation
• Fabian Zuleeg, Chief Executive, European Policy Centre

       Followed by Q&A

18.05-18.30     Final Keynote Speech

• Teresa Ribera, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for a Clean, Just and Competitive Transition

       Followed by Q&A

18.30-18.35     Concluding Remarks  

• Fabian Zuleeg, Chief Executive, European Policy Centre

18.35               Reception

   This event welcomes the participation of EPC member organisations, EU institutions and media. 

Media is warmly invited to contact the EPC to request interviews and other information: media@epc.eu

For any other queries regarding the conference, please contact info@epc.eu



Click here to read Chief Executive Fabian Zuleeg's To the Point series diagnosing and offering solutions to the new challenges facing liberal democracy.
Click here to read the Commentary Series written by EPC Programme teams in the runup to the Annual Conference 2025's parallel breakout sessions.