Building Europe in times of uncertainty
The 13th edition of The State of the Union conference counted over 130 speakers and included over 30 sessions. This year’s theme ‘Building Europe in times of uncertainty’ fostered high-level discussions on a variety of key policy areas, including challenges to democracy, green transition and energy security, geopolitics and EU priorities, the global economic scenario, and the digital and tech transition.
SOU2023 was held on 4 and 5 May 2023, counting over 700 in-person participants, while about 10.000 people followed the conference via the live stream and on the EUI’s YouTube channel. This year’s edition was possible thanks to the support of 51 local and international partners.
On the afternoon of 5 May, SOU4YOU was held in Palazzo Vecchio, counting the presence of over 600 young European citizens.
On 6 May, the conference concluded with an Open Day at Villa Salviati, counting over 2500 visitors.
Speaker line-up included

Benedetta Berti
Head of Policy Planning, NATO

Tobias Billström
Minister for Foreign Affairs, Sweden

Rita Bissoonauth
Director, UNESCO Liaison Office to the AUC, ECA and Rep. to Ethiopia

Josep Borrell Fontelles
High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President, European Commission

Nadia Calviño
First Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister for Economic Affairs and Digitalisation, Spain

Dita Charanzova
Vice-President, European Parliament

Frank Elderson
Member of the Executive Board, European Central Bank

Timothy Garton Ash
Professor of European Studies, University of Oxford

Ditte Juul Jørgensen
Director-General for Energy, European Commission

Eva Maydell
Member, European Parliament