The 13th edition of The State of the Union conference, a renowned annual summit for high-level reflection on the European agenda, will take place in Florence on 4-6 May 2023.
Unrivalled 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 a time of great transformation.
#SOU2023 will focus on five overarching topics:
- Challenges to democracy
- Geopolitics and EU priorities
- Green transition and energy security
- Rethinking the global economic scenario
- The digital and tech transition
In cooperation with the local partners, the event will feature networking and social events during the
days of the conference.
Venues and format
The event will take place over three days, opening on Thursday, 4 May at the EUI’s stunning hilltop hub in Fiesole. This first day will centre around an impressive programme of in-person sessions, which will explore the conference themes from an array of academic and policy perspectives. All sessions will be live streamed widely on the SOU website.
On Friday, 5 May SOU will move to Palazzo Vecchio,home to the Florence City Council. The morning will be dedicated to high-level conversations with EU leaders, heads of state, prime ministers, diplomats, academics, and journalists from Europe and beyond.
The afternoon will be dedicated to youth and civil society engagement. It will feature activities in the context of a series of initiatives aimed at inspiring young people and European citizens to act as protagonists within the European democratic process at the local and national level.
On Saturday, 6 May the EUI will open the doors and gardens of Villa Salviati, the home of the Historical Archives of the European Union. This day is dedicated to art, culture, and recreational activities and aims to connect the local and European communities by opening the EUI to the public.
Scientific Committee
Deirdre Curtin
Dean, Graduate Studies and Professor, Department of Law, EUI
Renaud Dehousse
President, EUI
Marco Del Panta
Secretary General, EUI
Franca Maria Feisel
Researcher, Department of Law, EUI, and Ponte Europa
Stephanie Hofmann
Professor, Department of Political and Social Sciences and Robert Schuman Centre, EUI
Marco Incerti
Director, Communications Service, EUI
Erik Jones
Director, Robert Schuman Centre, EUI
Ruth Rubio Marín
Professor, School of Transnational Governance, EUI
Leonardo Meeus
Executive Director, Florence School of Regulation, Robert Schuman Centre, EUI
Nicolas Petit
Professor, Department of Law and Robert Schuman Centre, EUI
Andrea Renda
Professor, School of Transnational Governance, EUI
Waltraud Schelkle
Professor, Department of Political and Social Sciences and Robert Schuman Centre, EUI
Media Partners
The EC supports the EUI
