European Ideas Network debates security and political stability in Europe

Today and tomorrow, the European Ideas Network (EIN) is gathering in Copenhagen, Denmark, to develop innovative ideas about the security and political stability challenges facing Europe, with the participation of European politicians, businessmen, academics, policy-makers and opinion-shapers.

"We decided to discuss the security and stability issues during our summer university because they are crucial to understanding and facing the challenges we are witnessing daily. Copenhagen is the right place to hold this debate for three reasons: because of its track record in debating immigration issues; because it has recently been the victim of terrorist attacks; and because Denmark is directly concerned by the Russian issue. As Chairman of the EIN, I am very glad that we manage to send this strong political message", explained Paulo Rangel MEP, Vice-Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament.

Today’s programme includes panels to discuss security and political stability themes, such as: Mediterranean stability (security, migration and cooperation); Islamic State and the crash of values; Russia, Ukraine and the EU.

Later today, the Chairman of the EPP Group, Manfred Weber, and Paulo Rangel will deliver the EIN Francisco Lucas Pires Merit Award to the former Minister and MEP Jaime Mayor Oreja, the Spanish politician who held the EIN presidency for over a decade. This award serves as recognition of a personality whose career excelled in disseminating European values.

Tomorrow’s programme includes panels tackling the following themes: transatlantic relations; financial and economic elements in post-crisis EU recovery; the future of Europe - economic and monetary union; migration and demography; human dignity and bioethics; populism and the future of democracy; the Digital Single Market, internet and copyright; terrorism, threats and strategy.

The European Ideas Network is an open pan-European think-tank designed to promote new thinking on the key challenges facing the countries of the European Union. Sponsored by the EPP Group, the largest political group in the European Parliament, the network was launched in the summer of 2002 and has rapidly emerged as an important meeting point and intellectual crossroads for the centre-right in European politics.