On 28 October 2016, The Spinelli group and the Université libre de Bruxelles, in cooperation with the Union of European Federalists (UEF), organise the 2016 edition of the Spinelli Forum, dedicated to the theme "Europe and Nation States: Friends or Foes? Bridging visions on sovereignty and identity to relaunch the European political project”.

Among the guest speakers this year are László ANDOR, Elmar BROK, Daniel COHN-BENDIT, Ramona COMAN, Philippe DE BRUYCKER, Paul DUJARDIN, Ulrike GUEROT, Paul JORION and Luca VISENTINI.

Why is the European Union becoming increasingly contentious? Why is the divide between Europe and the nation-states and between Europe and citizens growing? Why such a widespread revival of national identity and attachment to national sovereignty? Why so many contrasting views on the future of Europe? Will Europe be able to overcome its divisions and develop European solutions to the immigration challenge, the economic slowdown and increasing security threats? How can the project of a true political unity be relaunched, almost 60 years from the Treaty of Rome? Is the ideal of the United States of Europe still alive? These are the key questions discussed at the Spinelli Forum 2016.

The Spinelli Forum constitutes an opportunity to put citizens in contact with experts in European affairs, politicians and scholars in order to discuss solutions to the main challenges facing the European Union. The Forum is conceived as a citizens-oriented initiative, in a spirit of free exchange between the guest speakers and the public.

For more details check out here.