Launching a New European Movement for Influence, Sovereignty, and Collective Power
EuropaNova has officially launched the Europa Power Initiative with a two-day founding conference in Strasbourg on 26–27 November 2025, held under the High Patronage of President Emmanuel Macron and President Sergio Mattarella.
More than 220 co-founders — political leaders, entrepreneurs, academics, cultural actors, experts, and young Europeans — gathered to shape a common ambition:
👉 Rebuilding Europe as a strategic, sovereign, and creative power for the 21st century.
The Strasbourg Declaration, unveiled at the close of the conference, sets this vision clearly:
“European power is a positive, innovative, free, attractive, social and humanist future. It is not a given — it must be built.”
26 November – Founding Sessions at the Strasbourg Palais Universitaire
The opening day marked the beginning of a structured and forward-looking dialogue on the foundations of European power. Introduced by Guillaume Klossa, initiator and Co-President of the Initiative, the session framed the urgency:
👉 The world is transforming faster than Europe adapts — and Europe must reclaim strategic initiative.
Public Opinion and the European Mandate
A major contribution came from Dr Roland Abold, presenting the latest Eurobarometer results:
- Trust in the EU is at its highest level in nearly 20 years.
- Europeans rank peace, stability, defence, supply security and renewable energy as top priorities.
- Citizens are calling for a more strategic, protective, and forward-looking Union.
These insights provided a crucial societal mandate for Europa Power.
Youth Voices — Why Europe Matters
One of the defining moments of the day was the youth panel, featuring Katherine Detter, Sofiia Ivanova, Rodrigo Lima Faliveni, Alireza Shojaian.
Their perspectives were bold, diverse, and demanding — a reminder that Europe must build with and for the next generation.
Messages from High-Level Leaders
Throughout the day, foundational messages were delivered — notably by Theodoros Roussopoulos, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, who called for a renewed defence of democracy.
These contributions echoed the spirit of the Strasbourg Declaration:
👉 Europe must unite, take initiative, and act with confidence.
The Power of Territories
Moderated by Co-President Nicolas Schmit, the panel brought together regional and cross-border leaders — Florian Hassler, Véronique Bertholle, Frédéric Bierry, Mercedes Bresso, Franck Leroy — to highlight a central conviction:
👉 European power grows from its territories — its cities, regions, and border communities.
They underlined the transformative role of regional alliances, mobility, and citizen engagement in strengthening Europe’s democratic vitality and strategic autonomy.
Food for Thoughts — Innovation, Industry, and Talent
Chaired by Mariya Gabriel, this high-level session gathered leading figures of European innovation and industry — Maria João Rodrigues, Nathalie Roos, Flora Mattei, Jean-François van Boxmeer, William Kadouch-Chassaing, Christian Sinding, Philippe Huberdeau.
The message was clear:
👉 Europe’s global position will depend on its capacity to invest in AI, advanced technologies, industrial capacity, talent and scale-ups.
Europe must act decisively if it wishes to remain competitive between the United States and China.
Culture as a Strategic Power
A moment of exceptional resonance was the intervention of Jordi Savall, who reminded participants that European power is also civilizational.
Through music and culture, Europe transmits dialogue, memory, and inspiration — essential elements of its future sovereignty.
Later, the floor was given to youth and participants to question — openly and constructively — what kind of power Europe should aspire to become. A protector? A rule-maker? A geopolitical actor? A global partner? Most agreed on one point: Europe must articulate a shared vision and align its means to its ambitions.
The day closed with remarks from Mariya Gabriel, who underlined that Europe’s future influence will depend on its ability to turn intention into collective action.
In the Grand Est Region, meetings with Nobel Laureate Jean-Marie Lehn and violinist Yury Revich reinforced this conviction: innovation, science, and culture are pillars of Europe’s capacity to reinvent itself.
27 November – Parliamentary Sessions & Workshop Conclusions
The second day unfolded aboard a Croisi’Europe boat and in the hemicycle of the European Parliament — an embodiment of a Europe in motion, in dialogue, and navigating together toward a shared horizon.
The morning began on the boat, where participants reassembled for a methodological briefing before diving into the six “Pillars of Power” workshops, the core deliberative engine of the conference. Spread across the vessel’s meeting spaces, these workshops brought together political leaders, business figures, academics, experts, and young Europeans for an intense co-creation session.
The six thematic pillars were:
- Geopolitics, Defence & Security
- Culture & Creativity
- Democracy and the Rule of Law
- Economy, Finance, Currency, Growth & Employment
- Common Assets (Climate, Energy, Health)
- Science & Technology
Interventions from European Leaders at the European Parliament
- Sabine Verheyen, Vice-President of the European Parliament, underlined the essential role of parliamentary leadership in strengthening Europe’s strategic direction, reinforcing democratic legitimacy, and ensuring that citizens’ voices remain central to Europe’s political future.
- Armin Laschet, President of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Bundestag, called for Europe to “speak with one voice” and reclaim its diplomatic influence.
- Paolo Gentiloni delivered an urgent message: Europe must reconnect power and prosperity, with three imperatives:
- A stronger common defence
- Economic and financial sovereignty
- Democracy and rule of law as the foundations of European strength
- Bruno Fuchs, President of the Foreign Affairs Committee of France, insisted on
- putting citizens back at the heart of the European project
- mobilising parliamentary diplomacy across EU Member States
- confronting global disruptions with a confident and unified European voice.
Pillars of Power — Workshop Synthesis
The heart of the founding conference was the co-creation work carried out in the six Pillars of Power workshops. Their chairs presented shared priorities:
1. Geopolitics, Defence & Security — Claude-France Arnould
→ A new consensus for strategic autonomy: stronger defence, reduced dependencies, whole-of-society mobilisation.
2. Culture & Creativity — Yury Revich
→ Recognising culture as a strategic asset: arts education, support for creators, and a proposal for a European Day of Culture.
3. Democracy & Rule of Law; Territories — Jean-Baptiste Cuzin
→ Rebuilding trust, strengthening responsiveness, and placing cohesion policy at the centre of European belonging.
4. Economy, Industry & Finance — Wolfgang Pinner
→ Faster regulation, technological sovereignty, a stronger Capital Markets Union, mobilisation of savings for European growth.
5. Commons, Climate, Energy, Health — Florian Mante
→ Valuing natural capital, scaling green procurement, supporting innovation ecosystems.
6. Science & Technology — Christine Durinx
→ Building Europe’s superpower: long-term investment in research, attracting global talent, reducing bureaucracy.
These conclusions will guide the next phase of the Initiative.
A Strasbourg Booklet, containing the Strasbourg Declaration and all workshop summaries, will be shared with all co-founders.
Closing Reflections — A Collective Responsibility
In their concluding remarks, Gilles Briatta, Chair of the Steering Committee, and Leyla Kayacık, Secretary General of the Initiative, delivered a powerful message: Europa Power has been launched — now we build it.
Four Immediate Next Steps
- Spread the debate across Europe
- Grow the network while preserving its diversity
- Meet annually to evaluate progress
- Work closely with all co-founders to shape the roadmap ahead
The conference closed with a shared commitment:
to work for a stronger, more confident, more sovereign Europe, grounded in democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.
The journey starts here — and together, we will carry it forward.
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