In the face of the global energy crisis and Europe’s ongoing dependencies in the economic, defense, and digital sectors, the EU and its member states are facing profound political, economic, and security challenges. To advance deeper cooperation between Germany and Italy in these areas, sixty young leaders from Germany and Italy spent two months addressing key European issues for the future. In four workshops, held both online and in person, they developed recommendations for action for both governments:
In the area of trade and economic growth, the focus was on coordinated investments in competitive future-oriented industries, efforts to reduce bureaucracy in national tax systems, and the establishment of a European database on raw material shortages.
The working group on security and defense policy proposed an expanded European Security Council involving allied third countries, stronger incentives for European defense cooperation projects, and city partnerships to prepare society for crises.
In the area of energy resilience, the focus was on Europe-wide recycling systems for lithium, the expansion of cross-border energy infrastructure between Italy and Germany, and greater opening of the hydrogen market to small and medium-sized enterprises.
The working group on EU challenges in the field of artificial intelligence focused on establishing a European database on AI use in the private sector, expanding AI education programs for seniors, and creating national ombudsman offices for citizens affected by AI.
Building on the preparatory online workshops, participants worked over the three days of the conference to clarify key issues and develop concrete recommendations for action. On the second day of the conference, participants had the opportunity to discuss their recommendations with Gunther Krichbaum, Minister of State for Europe at the Federal Foreign Office, who visited the individual working groups.
The program was complemented by presentations and panel discussions at the NEXT Forum, a joint event organized by ISPI, the OECD, and Bocconi University.
At the end of the conference, participants presented their final recommendations to German and Italian policymakers as part of a gallery walk. Susanne Welter, German Consul General in Milan, and Andre Silvestri, Deputy Director General and Director General for European Countries at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, provided constructive feedback on these recommendations. The policy recommendations will be published shortly on the IEP website.
The Spinelli Forum is a joint initiative of the German Federal Foreign Office and Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, organised by IEP and ISPI and financially supported by the European Commission. In 2025, it took place for the fifth time.
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