Charlemagne Prize Forum on Europe

Dr Michael Ziemons, Lord Mayor of the City of Aachen

Armin Laschet, Minister-President (ret.), Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the German Bundestag, Chairman of the Charlemagne Prize Board of Directors

Europe faces a security environment defined by military escalation, geopolitical rivalry and declining predictability. Deterrence, defence readiness and strategic autonomy are no longer abstract concepts but concrete political obligations. This session confronts the gap between Europe’s normative ambitions and the hard power required to uphold them.

Speakers:

• H.E. Hanno Pevkur, Minister of Defence of the Republic of Estonia
• Alexander Sollfrank, Lieutenant General, Commander, Operational Command of the Bundeswehr
• Dr Constanze Stelzenmüller, Director, Center on the United States and Europe, Brookings Institution
• Professor Peter R. Neumann, PhD, Professor of Security Studies, King’s College London

Chair: Luc Walpot, Journalist

ROOM Gold

In times of political repression and societal polarisation, culture becomes a space of resistance, identity and continuity. Artistic expression, memory and narrative are not peripheral but central to democratic resilience. In this interactive session, diverse perspectives highlight how cultural communities and cultural practice can reinforce political ambition, sustain social cohesion and help safeguard freedom in contested environments.

Speakers:

• Maria Kalesnikava, Musician, Representative of the Belarusian Opposition, Charlemagne Prize Laureate 2022
• Mirna Funk, Author, Journalist
• Christoph Thun-Hohenstein, Cultural Manager, Artistic Director of the Zukunftsplattform ReGenerativa

Moderation: Christophe Knoch, Member of the Board, Stiftung Zukunft Berlin

ROOM Carbon

Technological power increasingly defines economic competitiveness, political agency and democratic control. Generative AI and platform dominance are reshaping markets and governance structures alike. Europe’s challenge is not only to innovate, but to retain democratic oversight over technological transformation.

Speakers:

• Walter Pasquarelli, Director, Walter Pasquarelli Ltd.

„How generative AI is restructuring the economy“

• Aya Jaff, Entrepreneur, Author, Expert for Digital Transformation

„The Broligarchy – Why Democratic Control Is a Competitive Advantage”

How can Europe mobilise capital for innovation while remaining competitive and resilient? This panel brings together politics, finance and industry to discuss investment frameworks, industrial transformation and Europe’s capacity to scale innovation.

Speakers:

• Mona Neubaur MdL, Minister for Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Action and Energy and Vice Minister-President of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia
• Thomas Groß, CEO, Helaba – Landesbank Hessen-Thüringen Girozentrale
• Frank Koch, CEO, Swiss Steel Group
• David Oudsandji, Co-Founder and CEO, Voltfang GmbH

Chair: Peter Ehrlich, Journalist, Former Head of Strategic Communication, European Central Bank

AI-generated content, disinformation and emotional polarisation are eroding trust in institutions, media and public debate. Democratic resilience increasingly depends on verification, transparency and the capacity to defend factual discourse. In this open lunch conversation, journalistic expertise meets young perspectives and thematic specialists to explore how democracies can navigate information warfare and protect the integrity of the public sphere.

• Ferenc Gaal, Brussels-based Europe correspondent, Deutsche Welle
• Adelheid Feilcke, Director of Programs for Europe, Deutsche Welle

Since 2025, the Charlemagne Prize awards €1 million in project funding to grassroots initiatives committed to strengthening Europe. First results and early impacts are presented in this session. Funding decisions in social, medical and educational fields reveal whether Europe is prepared to invest in prevention, cohesion and long-term societal resilience - rather than prioritising short-term efficiency alone.

• Professor Dr Jörg M. Fegert, Medical Director of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Ulm University Hospital

The future of Europe’s labour market is shaped by automation, demographic change and global competition. Young Europeans face rising expectations but uneven opportunities. This session aims to address how skills, participation and economic fairness can be aligned to sustain prosperity and social cohesion.

Speakers:

• Sabine Verheyen MEP, First Vice-President of the European Parliament
• Moritz Körner MEP
• Clara von Nathusius, Federal Treasurer, Junge Union Deutschland

What sustains Europe when stability can no longer be taken for granted? Bringing together former Charlemagne Prize Laureates, this panel examines the economic, ethical and democratic costs of upholding Europe’s core commitments - trust, pluralism and shared rules - in an increasingly contested global order.

Speakers:

• H.E. Dr h.c. Jean-Claude Trichet, President of the European Central Bank (ret.), Gouverneur Honoraire de la Banque de France, Charlemagne Prize Laureate 2011
• Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, President of the Conference of European Rabbis, Charlemagne Prize Laureate 2024
• Veronica Tsepkalo, Chairwoman of the Belarus Women’s Foundation, Charlemagne Prize Laureate 2022
• Dr Othmar Karas, President of the European Forum Alpbach, former First Vice-President of the European Parliament

Chair: Tom Buhrow, Director-General (ret.) of WDR

Europe’s economic strength is inseparable from political leadership and reform capacity. In conversation with Germany’s Federal Minister for Economic Affairs, this session focuses on how industrial policy, competitiveness and investment decisions can secure prosperity while preserving Europe’s social cohesion, democratic stability and capacity to act in a changing global economy.

Keynote: Katherina Reiche, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy

Talk with Gabor Steingart, Journalist and Publisher of The Pioneer

In Conversation with the designated Charlemagne Prize Laureate 2026

Professor Mario Draghi PhD, Former President of the European Central Bank, Prime Minister (ret.) of the Italian Republic

Moderation: Dr h.c. Roger de Weck, President of the Fondation Jean Monnet pour l’Europe

Professor Dr Thomas Prefi, Chairman of the Charlemagne Prize Foundation