Once again this year, the prestigious European University Institute (IUE) in Florence, founded in 1972 by the original six members of the European Community, and European leader in the social and humanistic sciences, presents The State of the Union, the renowned annual summit for high-level reflection on the European agenda.

The 14th edition of The State of the Union conference will take place in Florence on 23-25 May 2024. Peerless in the quality and breadth of its sessions, The State of the Union gathers leading scientific thinkers, academics, policy makers and journalists from various disciplines for in-depth analysis and discussion on the challenges and opportunities Europe is facing in uncertain times.

#SOU2024’s panels, conversations, and addresses will foster reflection on key policy areas including:

• Artificial Intelligence / Digital transition
• Demography
• Climate change / Green transition
• Economy / Industrial policy
• Democracy / Human rights
• Geopolitics / Enlargement of the EU

In cooperation with the local partners, the event will feature networking and social events during the days of the conference.

Speakers will include:

• Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa - President of the Republic, Portugal
• Dubravka Šuica - Vice-President for Democracy and Demography, European Commission
• Gert Jan Koopman - Director-General, DG for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations, European Commission
• Ursula Owusu-Ekuful - Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, Ghana
• Enrico Letta - former Prime Minister, Italy
• Elsa Fornero - Professor, University of Turin
• Paul Nemitz - Principal Adviser on the Digital Transition, DG Justice and Consumers, European Commission
• Francesca Bria - President, Italian National Innovation Fund, and Board Member, RAI
• Jeromin Zettelmeyer - Director, Bruegel
• Daniela Schwarzer - Member of the Executive Board, Bertelsmann Stiftung
• Marco Buti - Professor, Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, EUI
• Milena Mihajlovi - Programme Director, European Policy Centre (CEP)

Programme:

• The event will start on Thursday, 23 May 2024, at the EUI’s campus on the hills overlooking Florence. The programme will centre on in-person sessions, which will explore the themes from an array of academic and policy perspectives. There will be plenty of networking opportunities and social events to meet and interact with representatives of academia, industry and civil society, policy makers and officials from the EU and beyond.

• On Friday, 24 May 2024, participants will reconvene, along with heads of state, EU and international leaders, representatives of the private sector and civil society, to contribute their views on the themes of the conference through interviews and high-level conversations. On this day, the EUI is likely to host a televised debate among the Spitzenkandidaten. All sessions will be livestreamed on the SOU website.

• On Saturday, 25 May 2024, the EUI will open its doors and the gardens of Villa Salviati, home of the Historical Archives of the European Union, to the public. The Open Day aims to connect the local and European communities, and is dedicated to art and culture, guided tours, and recreational activities.