The 12th edition of The State of the Union will be held from 5 to 7 May 2022 and will focus on the future of the European Union.

Titled “A Europe Fit for the Next Generation?”, the conference will take place in a hybrid format. Attendees from around the world will connect through an online platform, with a select group participating live in Florence.

Two years from the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the EU’s importance in shaping a better future has never been clearer. The State of the Union is a platform for experts and civil society members from all over the world to debate urgent crises. This year’s edition of the EU’s annual policy conference will focus on the European Union’s role in a constantly evolving global landscape. Leaders and Experts from all over the world will deal with issues ranging from multilateral governance to sustainability and resilience, democracy and the rule of law, to the developments in attitudes to migration, the future of digitalisation, and how crisis can fuel change. Prominent speakers will discuss how the Next Generation EU recovery plan can address the damage inflicted by the pandemic. Looking beyond Europe, the conference will feature panels on the future of transatlantic relations and Africa’s emerging role on the global stage. The conference will also address the conflict in Ukraine, covering the crisis’ complex geopolitical, economic and legal ramifications.

Organised by the European University Institute, #SOU2022 will once again represent a unique opportunity for the worlds of academia, policymaking, business, media, and civil society to come together and come up with constructive proposals for a more effective EU action.

The conference focuses on key issues split into 5 streams:

• Sustainability and Resilience
• Society and Migration
• Democracy and the Rule of Law
• A More Just Future?
• Crisis and Change