The State of the Union

The flagship event of the European University Institute will take place on May 4-6, unravelling into sessions where international leaders and experts will address the challenges and opportunities facing Europe in a rapidly changing environment. The 2023 edition will focus on the most pressing issues on the European agenda, including the war in Ukraine and its complex geopolitical, economic and legal ramifications, and its impact on the daily lives of citizens. Important EU goals, such as promoting sustainability and social inclusion, up- holding the rule of law and digital transition, will also feature prominently in the programme.

The event will kick off on May 4 at the EUI premises and will continue on May 5 in Palazzo Vecchio. The programme will focus on challenges to democracy, geopolitics and EU priorities, green transition and energy security, rethinking the global economic landscape, and digital and technological transition, and more topics.

• Among the over 80 prestigious speakers, the event will see the participation of
• Sergio Mattarella, President of the Republic, Italy
• Dubravka Šuica, Vice-President for Democracy and Demography, European Commission
• Anabel González, Deputy Director-General, World Trade Organization
• Tobias Billström, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sweden
• Frank Elderson, Member of the Executive Board, European Central Bank
• Sylvie Goulard, Member of the French Diplomatic Service
• Paolo Gentiloni, European Commissioner for Economy
• Antonio Tajani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Italy

SOU4YOU

In the afternoon of May 5, the European University Institute is offering SOU4YOU, a dynamic talk show: The State of the Union for Young European Citizens, in the Salone dei Cinquecento of Palazzo Vecchio, in continuity with the Festival d’Europa. The event, which is coordinated in collaboration with local institutions, aims to stimulate an interactive dialogue on the present and future of young people and Europe, advocating the need to invest in the education of new generations and thus make them protagonists in the construction of a modern, innovative, competent and sustainable Europe. As happened for the 2021 edition in Fiesole, #SOU4YOU aims to bring young people to the stage in a dialogue with practitioners in the field of education, training, work and youth policies, together with personalities able to understand and disseminate their ideas.

As indicated by President Von der Leyen, if 2022 was the year dedicated to new generations, 2023 will be the year of European competencies. The European institutions are therefore committed to identifying and stimulating the growth of said skills, also through supporting young people in their training and professional development. SOU4YOU aims to address these issues by involving the young protagonists of our society, asking how public and private institutions can support young people and provide them with the right tools.

Open Day

At the conclusion of the event, on May 6, the event will open the doors and gardens of Villa Salviati, a centuries-old palace that is home to EUI’s departments of History and Law, the Academy of European Law, and the Historical Archives of the European Union. The final day is intended to be a day of free gatherings and leisure, within the spaces of the Institute and thus in a stimulating and lush environment from a natural point of view, enjoying refreshments offered by local producers in front of an evocative view from above beautiful Florence. Works and art projections by students of the Florence Academy of Fine Arts will accompany the day. Participants will also have the opportunity to take guided tours of the Historical Archives of the European Union (HAEU) repositories and the villa, gardens and grotto of Villa Salviati conducted by the “Apprentice Tour Guides” of the Italian Environmental Fund (FAI – Florence delegation) andHAEU archivists. In the evening, music, drinks and refreshments will entertain visitors.

The Open Day, in partnership with FAI, is open to the public. Visitors will be able to tour the beautiful grounds and buildings of the historic villa and visit the state-of-the-art vaults where Europe’s memory is preserved. Information on event registration will be announced in April on the SOU website.