Inaugural Young European Leaders of the Aspen Initiative for Europe
The European Union has encountered great change since its 1957 founding. Now, 60 years after the Treaty of Rome, the European Union faces new challenges: Brexit, a wave of nationalist populism, and even a vote for independence by Catalonia. Will the EU experiment survive? If so, what values will define it? In September, the Aspen Initiative for Europe, Aspen Institute Italia, and Aspen Institute España gathered 25 young leaders for a seminar in Spoleto, Italy, to explore these questions and to examine the meaning of citizenship, the effects of welfare systems, and the nature of war and peace. Participants, who hailed from a range of professional backgrounds and nationalities, wrestled with these topics over three days. The seminar offered these young leaders a space to debate European values in a changing and interconnected world. The Aspen Initiative for Europe developed the Young European Leaders group to engage emerging leaders under 35. Learn more at aspenforeurope.org/young-european-leaders