The 2nd Skopje Debate on Europe

17–19 November 2023

As war again haunts the European continent, the political project Europe must be thought anew. Instead of ever closer integration of a few core European countries, further EU enlargement is now back on the agenda – not only as an economic and social objective, but as a security measure, so as to achieve long-term stability in an increasingly volatile geopolitical situation. The western Balkans are in focus again, together with Ukraine and Moldova. This is unquestionably shifting the centre of gravity to the east, not only geographically but also when it comes to whose perspective is relevant and whose is not.

But where does Southeast Europe stand today? What is its place in the new geopolitical constellation? Are its conflicts really a thing of the past? And how do different countries in the region approach the challenge of creating inclusive and sustainable societies, where minorities’ rights are the responsibility of the majority?

Following up on the Sofia Debate on Europe held in February and on the Belgrade Talks on War and Peace this autumn, leading experts, writers and opinion-makers will meet in Skopje to address some of the most pressing issues on the agenda of the region and their relevance for Europe’s future. These questions are acute and urgent, highly political to their nature. But they are also the products of and have consequences for much more fundamental and long-term social and historical developments.

The programme includes public panel discussions and literary readings as well as internal sessions. Join us to explore new ways of how the countries in Southeast Europe see themselves and each other – and how the region can play a constructive role in a common European future!

The 2nd Skopje Debate on Europe is organized by Debates on Europe and Kontrapunkt.
It is supported by the Federal Foreign Office of Germany.

You can view the full programme here.

Debates on Europe is a joint initiative of the S. Fischer Stiftung and the Deutsche Akademie für Sprache und Dichtung. Since its inception in 2012, the series Debates on Europe has been hosted in places where the idea of Europe is at stake. In international discussion forums organized in cooperation with local actors – mainly in East and Southeast Europe – it addresses the most pressing issues on the European agenda.