Passion for Europe: A fruitful 2022 edition

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From Friday September 16 to Sunday the 18th, the Passion for Europe event took place in the La Pairelle Spiritual Centre, in Namur, Belgium. About 60 participants from more than 20 nationalities gathered to reflect on issues relevant to Europe, including the state of democracy and some of its threats, the growing presence and influence of technology in our lives, the values that are meaningful to us, the importance of dialogue, and the role of Christianity in today’s society.

The event was made up of sessions in which leading experts in the field of European policy gave presentations to the general audience, and then engaged in debates with other panellists and the public. Additionally, participants were divided into small groups, in which they were able to delve deeper into the topics being discussed. Each group summarised its main conclusions in a document; and then all the groups’ conclusions were consolidated into one overarching text.

The Passion for Europe event was a unique opportunity for participants to look at Europe with some perspective, to reflect on its challenges and opportunities, on what it means to each of us, to listen to others with openness and respect, and to practice the complex but necessary art of dialogue.

The programme included expert and renowned speakers like Herman van Rompuy, former President of the European Council, who gave the keynote speech; Msrg. Franco Coppola, Apostolic Nuncio to Belgium and Luxembourg; Paul F. Nemitz, Principal Advisor in the Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers of the EU Commission; Fr Paolo Benanti T.O.R., Professor of Moral Theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University​; Sébastien Maillard, Director of the Institut Jacques Delors; Victoria Martin de la Torre, Press officer of the S&D Group in the European Parliament; Clemens Ladenburger, Deputy Director-General of the EU Commission’s legal Department; Sigrid Marz, Board member of UNIAPAC; Andreas Kolodziejak, Economist at the European Commission; and Gyula Ocskay, General Secretary, CESCI (Central European Service for Cross-Border Initiatives).