The German-Italian Young Leaders Dialogue – Spinelli Forum 2026 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 sixth edition of the Spinelli Forum 2026 including:
- a virtual kick-off event (20 March 2026, in the afternoon)
- two online workshops (27 March and 17 April 2026, in the afternoon)
- a final in-person two-day conference in Milan (04 to 06 May 2026) in synergy with the “NEXT – Empowering Future Leaders” initiative, promoted by ISPI, Bocconi University and the OECD.
- two virtual strategy sessions, during which participants discuss their policy recommendations with policy makers from Italy and Germany.
Participants will have the unique opportunity to discuss relevant issues concerning the future of the EU and relations between the two countries in a stimulating environment, as well as to become members of a sustainable network of German and Italian young leaders. Furthermore, as part of the in-person conference, the selected Spinelli Forum participants will have the chance to attend the plenary sessions of the NEXT Milan Forum to be held at Bocconi University on 4 and 5 May 2026, which will be part of the Spinelli Forum 2026 process.
Thematic Focus
The EU and its member states face a growing number of challenges that require close cooperation at the European level. In addition to improving European defence capabilities, these challenges include securing European competitiveness in a tense global market, ensuring the resilience of European energy supplies, and maintaining cybersecurity while expanding artificial intelligence. To achieve these goals, both Germany and Italy, as close partners and founding members of the EU, play a key role in promoting European cooperation.
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
- EU Defence and Security Policy
- EU Trade and Economic Growth
- EU Energy Resilience
- EU Challenges in Artificial Intelligence
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: 08 March 2026 (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 Institut für Europäische Politik (IEP) and the Italian Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI).
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