2024 European elections: What does the future hold?
Politics

Mon. January 29, 6:30PM

2024 European elections: What does the future hold?

Ahead of the European Parliament elections, TheMerode is partnering with Versus for an exclusive debate gathering MEPs and representatives from the main political groups at the European Parliament. Join us and engage in the future of Europe.

As the countdown to the European elections of 2024 begins, political forces across the continent are gearing up for a strategic battle for the future of the European Union. While in the last decade parties at the extremes of the political spectrum have been gaining ground in Europe, spreading a wave of Euroscepticism, the next European Elections will stir up a great deal of debate. From the sovereignty of the member states to the pressing questions of enlargement, the response to the war in Ukraine, and the global economic and environmental concerns, these elections are likely to become a pivotal moment for Europe.

Join us for an engaging debate moderated by Paul Adamson where MEPs and representatives from the European People's Party (EPP), the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D), Renew Europe, the Greens/European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA), the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), and the Left will share their views on the future of the European Union.

With Sophie in 't Veld (Renew), Lars Patrick Berg (ECR), Hannah Neumann (Greens/EFA), Juan Fernando López Aguilar (S&D) and Dara Murphy (Former Campaign director for the PPE).


About Versus:
Versus is a Brussels-based initiative aimed at promoting expert debates on major social issues. Launched in June 2022 by Olaf van der Straten and Arthur de Liedekerke, Versus aims to reinject the spirit of adversarial debate into the Belgian political scene.

speaker

Sophie in 't Veld

Sophie in ‘t Veld is a Dutch Member of the European Parliament. Her main parliamentary activities revolve around Democracy, Rule of Law & Fundamental Rights (DRF) in the European Parliament’s justice and home affairs committee (LIBE). In ‘t Veld has specialised in the issues of (online) privacy and migration. Following the murder of journalists in Malta and Slovakia, she initiated the European Parliament’s DRF Monitor Group in 2018. This monitor group has permanently monitored a number of problematic countries in which the rule of law or democracy have been lacking. In 2004, she was elected for the first time, after which she joined the liberal group. In ‘t Veld was re-elected in all subsequent European Elections and joined the Renew Europe Group as the liberals merged into it. In 2024 she will stand for the European Parliament for Volt Belgium, making her a rare cross-border candidate in the European Elections.

speaker

Lars Patrick Berg

Lars Patrick Berg is a German politician who is serving as a Member of the European Parliament since 2019. He was elected with the Alternative for Germany party, he left the party and the Identity and Democracy group in the European Parliament to join the European Conservatives and Reformists in June 2021. In January 2023 he joined the Bündnis Deutschland party. He was a member of the state parliament of Baden-Württemberg from 2016–2019. He is a lieutenant colonel in the reserve of the German Armed Forces.

speaker

Hannah Neumann is the peace and human rights spokesperson of "The Greens/European Free Alliance (EFA)" group, Vice-Chair of the Human Rights Committee (DROI), DROI coordinator for the group, member of the Committee on Security and Defence Policy (SEDE), substitute in the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) as well as head of the delegation for relations with the Arabian Peninsula. She was a member of the Committee of inquiry to investigate the use of Pegasus and equivalent surveillance spyware (PEGA), which finished its work in May 2023. At the German Green party, she is also a member of the motions committee. From 2013 until 2016, she worked as policy advisor in the German Bundestag.

speaker

Dara Murphy

Dara Murphy is Vice President at Rasmussen Global, a political consultancy established by Anders Fogh Rasmussen, former Danish Prime Minister and NATO secretary general. He is a former Irish member of parliament for a constituency in Cork. He represented the Fine Gael party (EPP affiliated) and during this time served as Ireland's Minister for European Affairs. In 2015 Dara was elected Vice President of the European People's Party. In 2017 the EPP elected Dara to be the party's campaign director for the 2019 European Elections. Dara also served as cabinet expert, for current Bulgarian Foreign Minister, and then European Commissioner for Innovation Research Youth Culture and Sport, Mariya Gabriel. Prior to entering national politics, Dara served as Lord Mayor of Cork, Ireland’s second largest city. He holds a degree in Economics from University College Cork and is Certified Data Protection Officer.

speaker

Juan Fernando López Aguilar

Juan Fernando López Aguilar is a Senior Spanish MEP for the Socialist and Democrats Group. He is the Chair of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs. He’s also Rapporteur of the Crisis Regulation on the Migration Pact and Shadow Rapporteur of the Revision of the Antitrafficking of Human Beings Directive. He served as Minister of Justice between 2004 and 2007. In addition, Mr Lopez Aguilar is a Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, and an expert in comparative law, federalism, fundamental rights and judicial systems.

moderator

Paul Adamson

Paul Edward Adamson is the founder/publisher of the online magazine Encompass, chairman of Forum Europe and Forum Global and chairman of the EU-UK Forum. He is on the board of the Centre for European Reform and Rand Europe's Council of Advisors. He was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2012 and Chevalier in the Ordre national du Mérite by the French government in 2016.
Start
Mon. January 29, 6:30PM
End
Mon. January 29, 8:30PM
Format
TheMerode Talks
Guest allowed?
Yes, 1 per member

Address

Event
Place Poelaert, 6
1000 Brussels
Belgium
Parking
Parking Poelaert, Place Poelaert 1000 Brussels

Detailed programme

Welcome
Mon. January 29, 6:30PM
Debate
Mon. January 29, 7:00PM
Q&A and final remarks
Mon. January 29, 8:00PM
End
Mon. January 29, 8:30PM