Talking Europe - Event 1 - The big issues facing Europe

With elections to the European Parliament taking place in June 2024. A new European Commission and Presidents will be chosen over the summer. How will the EU institutions, politicians, and civil society meet the many challenges facing all off Europe.

To kick off TALKING EUROPE - Scotland's festival for Europe, the European Movement in Scotland presents this half day conference featuring sessions on;

• Constitutional reform within the EU and the consequences for the European institutions; led by David Martin, the former Labour MEP representing Scotland from 1984-2019. From 1989-2004 he was a Vice-President of the European Parliament. He is now a Visiting Professor at the University of Glasgow, a Senior Fellow at the RSIS, Singapore and the President of the European Movement in Scotland

• Future enlargement of the EU – the potential and the reality; with Sir Graham Watson, former MEP for South-West England 1994 – 2014, and former leader of the European Liberal group in the European Parliament. Currently an adjunct Professor at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, Toronto University

• The potential for new European connections – exploring, proposals for differentiated European co-operation, possible new European organisations and co-operation with Professor Jo Shaw. Jo has been Salvesen Chair of European Institutions at Edinburgh University since January 2005, and is now head of its Law School. Since 2018, she has also held a part time visiting position at Tampere University in Finland.

• European defence and security cooperation: with Professor Stephen Gethins. Stephen was SNP MP for North East Fife from 2015- 2019; former SNP Parliamentary spokesperson on international and foreign affairs. Now Professor of Practice in International Relations at the St Andrews University.

• What polity and what structure will the EU develop in the future? With Professor Brigid Laffan, the former director (now emeritus professor) at the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, European University Institute. Previously Professor of European Politics, University College Dublin. Chancellor of the University of Limerick.