16-18 September 2024
Warsaw

Europe Future Forum

A conference of partners who share the vision of a complete Europe – whole and free

The Forum is a strategic foresight conference that brings together a select group of government officials and independent leaders to discuss Europe’s options in the context of the EU enlargement process.

Europe cannot afford another enlargement failure; such an outcome would weaken the continent, increase vulnerability, deplete resources, and render one of the EU’s most influential foreign policy tools ineffective for decades.

Thus, in 2024 the Forum explores critical policy options for the EU enlargement process ahead of expected pivotal moments, such as the Polish Presidency of the EU Council 2025.

It builds upon a network of trusted partnerships and expertise to inform the policymaking process and second options that improve Europe’s democratic security.

Key facts about the event:

  • Focused on future policy-oriented discussions on the EU enlargement and European security
  • 150 like-minded participants, primarily from EU countries and candidate countries
  • Involves EU Sherpas, their advisors, policy experts and civil society leaders
  • Features high-level speakers at recorded and off-the-record sessions
  • Working lunches and dinners, bilateral consultations
  • It takes place on 16-18 September 2024 in Warsaw ahead of the Polish EU Council Presidency
  • Organised by Visegrad Insight – Res Publica Foundation in partnership with the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs
  • By invitation only

Agenda

Day 1 Inspiration
16 September 2024
Venue
By invitation only
  • 20:00

    Welcome reception with a Fireside chat

    Jan Krzysztof BIELECKI, former Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland (PL)

    Jacob TUROWSKI, Public Policy Director, CEE, Meta (PL) 

     

    Moderator: Magdalena JAKUBOWSKA, Vice President, Res Publica Foundation (PL)

     

    This event is supported by Meta.

  • 9:00-10:30

    Breakfast 

    Keynote by Cristina GHERASIMOV, Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration, Government of the Republic of Moldova (MDA)

  • 12:30-14:00

    Lunch – South-Eastern Europe 

    By invitation of Henryka Mościcka-Dendys, Undersecretary of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland

    Keynote by Ivan VEJVODA, Permanent Fellow, Head of Europe’s Futures, Institute for Human Sciences – IWM (RS)

  • 15:00-16:30

    Reception – South-Eastern Europe

    By invitation of H.E. Ambassador Andreas Stadler

Day 2 Main programme
17 September 2024
Sakura
Hikari
Kasai
Private Dining Room
  • 8:30

    Welcome coffee

  • 9:00

    Opening

    Wojciech PRZYBYLSKI, Editor-in-Chief, Visegrad Insight – Res Publica Foundation (PL)

  • 9:30-10:00

    Europe in 2024. Where Do We Come From and What’s Ahead for the European Union?

    Keynote by Marek PRAWDA, Undersecretary of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (PL)

  • 10:00-10:30

    Enlargement Endurance: How Shall We Debate Our Philosophy of EU Membership?

    Keynote by Kalypso NICOLAÏDIS, Chair in Global Affairs at the School of Transnational Governance, European University Institute (FR)

  • 10:30-11:30

    2025 EU Council Presidencies. Opportunities Not To Miss

    Eduard HULICIUS, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs (CZ)

    Henryka MOŚCICKA-DENDYS, Undersecretary of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (PL)

     

    Moderator: Marzenna GUZ-VETTER, Senior Fellow, Visegrad Insight (PL)

  • 11:30-12:00

    Coffee break

  • 12:00-13:00

    How the New Members Will Improve the EU: Security, Prosperity, Democracy? Make a Case for Enlargement

    Vincent GUÉREND, Director for European Affairs, Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France (FR) 

    Charlotte RUHE, Managing Director, Central and South Eastern Europe, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (BE)

    Manuel SARRAZIN, German Federal Government Special Representative for the Countries of the Western Balkans (DE)

     

    Moderator: Oana POPESCU-ZAMFIR, Director, GlobalFocus Center (RO) 

  • 13:00-14:00

    Lunch

  • 14:00-14:55

    Inspirational Chat: Europe’s Global Role

    Peter GRK, Secretary-General of Bled Strategic Forum, Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia (SI)

    Valbona ZENELI, Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council of the United States (AL)

     

    Moderator: Rosa BALFOUR, Director of Carnegie Europe (BE)

  • 15:00-16:00

    Business Cases for Enlargement

    Iain BEGG, Professorial Research Fellow at the European Institute, London School of Economics and Political Science (UK)

    Kateryna KRUK, Regional Public Policy Lead Central and Eastern Europe, Meta (UA)

    Ignacy NIEMCZYCKI, Undersecretary of State, Ministry of Economic Development and Technology (PL)

     

    Moderator: Martin EHL, Hospodářské noviny (CZ) 

  • 16:00-16:15

    Coffee break

  • 16:15-17:15

    Friends of Enlargement Needed Now

    Nikola DIMITROV, former Minister of Foreign Affairs for North Macedonia (MK)

    Miriam KOSMEHL, Senior Expert Eastern Europe and EU Neighbourhood, Bertelsmann Stiftung (DE)

    Nicolas TENZER, Chairman of the Center for Studies and Research on Political Decision (FR) 

     

    Moderator: Viktória SERDÜLT, HVG (HU)

  • 17:15

    Closing remarks

  • 12:00-13:00

    Foresight session

    EU Reforms and Improving Union’s Governability; Fundamentals: Rule of Law and Conditionality

  • 14:00-15:00

    Foresight session

    Rebuilding Ukraine Together

  • 15:00-16:00

    Foresight session

    Sponsors of the Enlargement: How to Ensure a Political Momentum?

  • 16:15-17:15

    Foresight session

    Scenarios for EU-US Relations After 2028

  • 12:00-13:00

    Foresight session

    EU Revenue streams: Funding European Defence Posture

  • 13:00-14:00

    Foresight session

    Strengthening Resilience: Strategic Communication vs Disinformation – Case Study of the Lithuanian Media Support Fund

  • 14:00-15:00

    Foresight session

    Ensuring Compliance: Alignment with the Common Foreign and Security Policy

  • 15:00-16:00

    Visegrad Insight Fellows Meeting

    with H.E. Ambassador Mark Brzezinski

  • 16:15-17:15

    Foresight session

    EU/NATO cooperation

  • 13:00-14:00

    Foresight session

    New EU Agenda and Economic Security

Day 3 Policy research coordination
18 September 2024
Hikari
  • 9:30

    Welcome coffee

  • 10:00-10:30

    Introduction

    The panel should discuss the key policy debates that Poland is currently involved in within the EU, which could significantly impact the future of the EU and its enlargement. Additionally, identify policy questions that lack up-to-date, evidence-based recommendations and research. For example: To what extent are EU countries prepared to adjust the future EU budget? What national legal frameworks exist to prevent common defence funding? How can global risks in supply chains or trade wars be mitigated if global tensions escalate? What collaborative actions can EU countries take?

     

    Małgorzata KAŁUŻYŃSKA, Director of the Economic Department of the European Union, Chancellery of the Prime Minister of Poland (PL)

    Łukasz PAWŁOWSKI, Deputy Director, Acting Director of the Department of Department of Foreign Policy Strategy of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (PL), invited

     

    Moderator: Marcin ZABOROWSKI, Senior Fellow, Visegrad Insight (PL)

  • 10:30-12:00

    Think-tanks and research consortia

    Mapping and designing relevant policy research related to Enlargement ahead of Polish Presidency 

    Opening remarks: Anna HOFMANN, Head of Research and Scholarship, ZEIT STIFTUNG BUCERIUS (DE) 

    Moderator: Jan FARFAŁ, Europe Enlargement Fellow, Visegrad Insight (PL) 

     

    This event is organised in cooperation with ZEIT STIFTUNG BUCERIUS.

     

    Rosa BALFOUR, Center Director, Carnegie Europe

    Goran BULDIOSKI, Senior Fellow, Hertie School of Governance

    Piotr BURAS, Director of the Warsaw Office, European Council on Foreign Relations

    Adnan ĆERIMAGIĆ, Senior Analyst for the Western Balkans, European Stability Initiative

    Srdjan CVIJIĆ, President, Belgrade Centre for Security Policy 

    Ilir DEDA, Expert on Human Capital Development, Regional Cooperation Council

    Nikola DIMITROV, former Minister of Foreign Affairs for North Macedonia

    Ziga FAKTOR, Deputy Director & Head of Brussels office, Europeum

    Jan FARFAŁ, Europe Enlargement Fellow, Visegrad Insight

    Stephanie FENKART, Director of the International Institute for Peace 

    Magdalena GÓRA, Dean’s Representative for Research and International Cooperation, Institute for European Studies at the Jagiellonian University in Cracow

    Anna HOFMANN, Head of Research and Scholarship Department, ZEIT STIFTUNG BUCERIUS

    Saskia HOLLANDER, Senior Research Fellow, Clingendael Institute

    Balazs JARABIK, Project Director, Dexis Consulting

    Jacob KAARSBO, Senior Fellow, Think Tank EUROPA

    Miriam KOSMEHL, Senior Expert Eastern Europe, Bertelsmann Stiftung

    Kerry LONGHURST, Jean Monnet Professor, Collegium Civitas

    Imrich MARTON, Foreign Policy Analyst, PhD Candidate, Comenius University Bratislava

    Michał MATLAK, Fellow, Enlargement Hub – CEU Democracy Institute

    Claudia MATTHES, Senior Lecturer & Director of International Master Programs, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

    Eric MAURICE, Policy Analyst, European Policy Centre

    Inna MELNYKOVSKA, Central European University

    Justinas MICKUS, Senior Policy Analyst, Vyriausybės strateginės analizės centras (STRATA)

    Thu NGUYEN, Deputy Director, Jacques Delors Centre

    Kalypso NICOLAÏDIS, Chair in Global Affairs at the School of Transnational Governance, European University Institute

    Łukasz PAWŁOWSKI, Acting Director, Department of Foreign Policy Strategy Ministerstwo Spraw Zagranicznych (TBC)

    Miroslava PISKLOVÁ, Research Fellow, Slovak Foreign Policy Association

    Wojciech PRZYBYLSKI, Editor-in-Chief, Visegrad Insight

    Jovana RADOSLAVJEVIĆ, Executive Director, New Social Initiative

    Maria SIMEONOVA, Head of the Sofia Office, European Council on Foreign Relations

    Tobias SPÖRI, Senior Research Fellow, dpart

    Tomáš STRÁŽAY, Director, Slovak Foreign Policy Association

    Strahinja SUBOTIĆ, Programme Manager and Senior Researcher, European Policy Centre

    Samina SULTAN, Senior Economist, German Economic Institute

    Monika SUS, Professor, Polish Academy of Sciences

    Žilvinas ŠVEDKAUSKAS, PhD candidate in comparative politics, Eberhard-Karls- Universität Tübingen

    Hannes SWOBODA, President, International Institute for Peace

    Clotilde WARIN, Advisor on European Affairs, Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France

    Kataryna WOLCZUK, European Neighbourhood Policy Chair, College of Europe

    Doris WYDRA, Assistant Professor and coordinator, Salzburg Centre of European Union Studies

    Marcin ZABOROWSKI, Senior Fellow, Visegrad Insight

    Valbona ZENELI, Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council of the United States

  • 12:00-13:00

    Working lunch and networking

  • 13:00

    Departures

Publications

Past Editions

About us

Visegrad Insight – Res Publica Foundation


Galczynskiego 5

00-362 Warszawa, Poland

 

The Res Publica Foundation is an impartial think tank with over three decades of experience in forward-looking research, publishing, and project management relevant to Polish and European policies, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE).

Established in 1987, its founding aim was to bolster cultural, research, and educational capacities, focusing on European themes and subjects.

Res Publica’s mission is to fortify democracy in Central and Eastern Europe and to establish mechanisms to prevent democratic backsliding. It enriches public discourse through Res Publica Nowa, its flagship Polish publication, and Visegrad Insight, an English-language European think tank and platform for analysis, research and debate.

 

 

Visegrad Insight is the main Central European analysis and media platform. It generates future policy directions for Europe and transatlantic partners.

Over the past years, our strategic foresight programme has gained recognition for its approach and impact on European policy and public debate.

Annually, through Visegrad Insight and Res Publica Nowa, the foundation publishes approximately 300 analytical papers, articles, and reports, collaborating with over 200 authors and experts. Its publications are either republished or produced with leading national media outlets.

 

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