On Thursday, 30 September 2021, shortly after the award of the Charlemagne Youth Prize in Aachen, we'll host the third edition of our Karlspreis Europa Summit, which is organised in cooperation with the state government of North Rhine-Westphalia. The event is aimed at experts and decision-makers from politics, science, business and society, representatives of the media, the European youth, as well as outstanding young academics who are supported in their work on questions related to the future of Europe with one-year fellowships as part of the Charlemagne Prize Academy. The goal is to bring together different perspectives and create a platform for new ideas and projects. Due to the special circumstances, we are organising the Summit as a hybrid event, i.e. external, interactive participation will be available on this website soon! 
The event takes place in the run-up to the Award of the International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen to the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis.

Registrations for a participation in Aachen via: summit@karlspreis.de
Have a look at this year's Summit-line-up below!

Main Stage

Panel 1: The Return of Great Power Politics and the Role of the European Union (3:15pm – 4:00pm)

As the balance of power shifts away from the United States, Great Power politics is returning. The major players are the United States anxious to defend its primacy, an increasingly powerful China, Russia eager to prove its relevance on the world stage, and the European Union reluctant to assume a more active role in international affairs. These powers coexist with India, Brazil, Japan, Indonesia, and Nigeria, whose policies can enhance or curtail the capabilities of the greater powers. For more than a generation, the European Union focused on internal affairs and economic development, at the expense of foreign policy. It must now adopt to the emerging multipolar world. Is the EU ready “to emerge stronger by creating opportunities for the world of tomorrow and not just building contingencies for the world of yesterday”? Is it ready “to make change happen by design – not by disaster” (Ursula von der Leyen)?

Panel 2: Europe’s Digital Sovereignty (4:15pm – 5:00pm)

The digital transformation increasingly affects the ability of states to act independently in the digital world. This ability, often termed “digital sovereignty”, depends on political, legal, regulatory, financial and technical, instruments. If the European Union lacks the political will and the capability to determine the necessary framework, it will lag behind competitors such as China and the US and thus gradually lose control over its data, over its capacity for innovation, and over its ability to shape and enforce legislation in the digital environment and, eventually, its security. What are the most important requirements and measures to enhance European autonomy in the digital field?

Panel 3: “Fit for 55” - an equitable path towards climate neutrality? (5:15pm – 6:00pm)

Making the EU climate-neutral by 2050 is the predominant goal of the “European Green Deal”. As an intermediate step towards this objective, the European Commission presented the “Fit for 55” package to reduce emissions by at least 55 percent by 2030. By revising existing directives and regulations and by presenting new proposals, the implementation of the “European Green Deal” is becoming more concrete and legally binding. With the “Fit for 55 package”, EU climate policy will affect all EU citizens directly, and it will affect them in a big way. Setting a target is one thing, reaching it is another. Can the measures fulfil their purpose towards a climate-neutral Europe? What are the direct effects on citizens and the economy? How should Europe deal with regional and sectoral underachievers of this transformation process?

Roundtable Discussions

Roundtable: EU Migration and Asylum Policies (4:15pm – 5:00pm)

Migration remains one of the most contentious issues in European politics and a threat to Europe’s cohesion. In 2015, it became obvious that the EU’s migration and asylum policies are not sustainable. However, since 2015, the EU member states have failed to agree on a solution. The 2020 proposal of a “New Pact on Migration and Asylum” by the European Commission sets out improved and faster procedures throughout the asylum and migration system. And it sets in balance the principles of fair sharing of responsibility and solidarity. So far, member states have failed to agree on a common path forward. Thus, the main question remains unresolved: How can the EU reform its migration and asylum policies to achieve a fair, stable and sustainable system?

Town-Hall: Influencing Europe - changing ways of political communication (5:15pm – 6:00pm)

Our social interaction increasingly takes place in the digital world. This also applies to political debates. Consequently, the internet is becoming more and more politicized. Political content, including discussions on Europe and European issues, circulates more quickly. However, the example of the 2019 European election demonstrates that these discussions can differ significantly in form, quality and reach. The European Union added another forum to this digital landscape by creating a new digital platform to facilitate citizen participation in the framework of the Conference on the Future of Europe. What can we expect if political communication shifts largely to the digital world?

Presentation of Research Results 2020/2021: Designing a common future (6:00 pm – 6:30 pm)

Both the Conference on the Future of Europe and the 750 billion Euro recovery instrument “Next Generation EU” address the EU´s future. While the Conference on the Future of Europe aims at making the voice of European civil society heard more clearly, “Next Generation EU” offers the unique opportunity to rebuild Europe’s post-pandemic economy in a more innovative and sustainable way. While both processes create high expectations, they also raise the question of democratic participation and transparency in the EU. How do people envisage the future of Europe? How should the European Union develop further? What do people think the European project will look like in 10 or 20 years? How can the European Union manage support for the recovery and longer-term debt sustainability risks at the same time?

View the full programme, including all speakers here!