April 4, 2025

The EU Conversations 2025

In light of the evolving geopolitical landscape and its impact on the European Union, the upcoming high-level international conference “The EU Conversations 2025: Europe for the New Age” will take place on April 4, 2025. Organized by the Latvian Institute of International Affairs in cooperation with the European Commission Representation in Latvia and the Parliament of the Republic of Latvia, this event will serve as a key forum for discussing Europe’s most pressing challenges and opportunities.
The project is carried out in collaboration with esteemed partners, including Vilnius University Institute of International Relations and Political Science (TSPMI VU) in Lithuania, the International Centre for Defence and Security (ICDS) in Estonia, the Danish research institute Tænketanken EUROPA, Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA), Swedish Institute of International Affairs (UI) as well as the German Institute for European Politics (IEP).

Join us for a thought-provoking dialogue on the future of Europe!

Speakers

Valdis Dombrovskis

European Commissioner for Economy and Productivity; Implementation and Simplification

Dr. Ramūnas Vilpišauskas

Professor, Vilnius university Institute for International Relations and Political Science

Dr. Barbara Lippert

Director of Research, German Institute for International and Security Affairs

Dr. Sophie Vanhoonacker

Chair in Administrative Governance and Jean Monnet Professor, Maastricht university

Dr. Kristi Raik

Director, International Centre for Defence and Security

Dr. Ivars Ījabs

Member of the European Parliament

Dr. Ditte Brasso Sørensen

Deputy Director, Think Tank EUROPA

Dr. Matteo Bonomi

Senior Research Fellow, Istituto Affari Internazionali

Dr. Louise van Schaik

Head of Unit EU & Global Affairs, Clingendael institute

Dr. Federica Prandin

Research Fellow, Finnish Institute of International Affairs

Christian Egenhofer

Associate Senior Research Fellow, CEPS

Dr. Steven Blockmans

Associate Senior Research Fellow, CEPS and ICDS

Edmunds Cepurītis

Chairman, European Affairs Commission of the Saeima

Michał Baranowski

Undersecretary of State, Ministry of Economic Development and Technology of Poland

Dr. Aleksandra Kuczyńska- Zonik

Assistant Professor, Institute of East-Central Europe, Poland

Dr. Marija Golubeva

Former Minister of the Interior of the Republic of Latvia

Dr. Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica

Deputy Speaker, Parliament of Latvia

Nicholas Aylott

Head of the Europe Programme, Swedish Institute of International Affairs

Dr. Małgorzata Bonikowsk

President, Centre for International Relations, Poland

Dr. Mihai Sebe

Head of European Affairs Department at the European Institute of Romania

Kristīne Bērziņa

Managing Director of GMF North

Dr. Funda Tekin

Director of the Institute for European Politics (IEP)

Dr. Viljar Veebel

Senior Researcher at the Baltic Defence College

Past Speakers

Dr. Alexander Stubb

Former Prime Minister of Finland (2014-2015), former Vice-President of the European Investment Bank (2017-2020), and Director of the Florence School of Transnational Governance.

Dr. José Manuel Durão Barroso

Former Prime Minister of Portugal (2002-2004) and Former President of the European Commission (2004-2014). Chairman of the Gavi Board since 2021.

Matti Maasikas

Senior Estonian diplomat, and former ambassador of the EU to Ukraine (2019-2023), advisor on strategic issues to EEAS secretary general (since 2023).

Peter Balas

Ambassador, a senior policy advisor, and a member of Covington’s Public Policy team.

Rasa Juknevičienė

Member of the European Parliament, former Minister of Defense of Lithuania (2008-2012).

Dr. Rem Korteweg

Senior Research Fellow at the Clingendael Institute

Mihails Kozlovs

Member at the European Court of Auditors, Dean of Chamber IV

Martin Schulz

Former President of the European Parliament

Jim Cloos

TEPSA Secretary-General, former Deputy Director-General, General Secretariat of the Council

Rodrigo da Costa

Executive Director, European Union Agency for the Space Programme

About the EU Conversations

For the tenth consecutive year, the EU Conversations has served as a premier international discussion platform, fostering dialogue and the exchange of ideas on key European Union issues while engaging a broad audience. Each year, this high-level event brings together leading decision-makers and experts from across the EU to enhance understanding and facilitate meaningful discussions on the future of Europe.

The Latvian Institute of International Affairs takes pride in its long-standing and close collaboration with the European Commission Representation in Latvia and the Parliament of the Republic of Latvia, ensuring a high-quality, diverse, and impactful discussion platform. Moreover, the EU Conversations stands out for its strong partnerships with leading think tanks from Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Lithuania, and Germany, which provide valuable insights and contribute to achieving the project’s objectives.

About the organisers

Latvian Institute of International Affairs (LIIA) is the oldest think tank in Latvia, and it aims to carry out scientific work and analytical research, as well as to provide expert opinions on Latvia’s challenges, development scenarios, and strategies within the international and regional security, political, and economic system. LIIA conducts research, issues publications, and organizes lectures, seminars, and conferences related to international policy issues, collaborating with Latvian and foreign partners on its projects.