The German-Italian Young Leaders Dialogue – Spinelli Forum offers a future generation of Italian and German leaders in the fields of politics, business, academia, civil society, media, and culture the unique opportunity to discuss the challenges faced by the German-Italian partnership as it shapes the future of the EU.
We are looking for young Italian and German candidates who would like to take part in the third edition of the Spinelli Forum 2025 including:
- a virtual kick-off event (19 September 2025)
- two online workshops (06 and 21 October 2025)
- a final in-person two-day conference in Berlin (27 and 28 October 2025).
Thematic Focus
The EU and its member states face an increasing number of challenges that require close cooperation at the European level. These challenges include fulfilling and preserving the promise of prosperity to the benefit of all European citizens, securing the global competitiveness of European economies, successful transformation to adapt to climate change and the digital revolution, and enhancing European defence and security in the context of increasing global crises. As close partners and founding members of the EU, both Germany and Italy are key to advancing European cooperation to meet them.
In four working groups, participants will discuss important aspects of the EU’s internal and external capacity to act from a German and Italian perspective. They will discuss differences in perception in order to reach a better understanding of the respective position and to identify synergies and priorities. Finally, they will develop policy proposals for joint European action.
These four working groups are
- European Economic Growth and Social Cohesion
- European Defence and Security Policy
- European Climate and Energy Policy
- European Artificial Intelligence Regulation and Governance
Who can apply?
German and Italian young leaders and high potentials from the fields of politics, business, academia, civil society, the social sector, media, and culture with a strong interest in European cooperation.
Requirements
- Aged between 25 and 35 years, applications of strong candidates aged between 25 and 30 years will be given preference
- First university degree (BA or MA) or equivalent vocational qualification
- Strong interest/expertise in European cooperation, particularly in the fields of defence and security policy, economics, artificial intelligence or climate and energy policy (see the selection criteria for details)
- Excellent command of English
How to Apply
Deadline: 25 July 2025 (23:59 CET)
Please read the full Call for Application and Evaluation Criteria thoroughly for all information and details.
Call for Applications Evaluation Criteria
Please apply via this platform: Application platform
Contact
Institut für Europäische Politik (IEP)
Name: Laura Worsch
Tel.: +49 30 88 913 40
Email: laura.worsch@iep-berlin.de
Istituto per gli Studi di Politica Internazionale (ISPI)
Name: Francesca Robbiati
Tel.: +39 02 863313.231
Email: Robbiati.francesca@ispionline.it
The German Italian Young Leaders Dialogue – Spinelli Forum is a joint initiative of the German Federal Foreign Office and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in partnership with the Institute for European Politics (IEP) and the Italian Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI).
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