ROME SEMINAR – Progressive Politics in Hard Times: Europe’s security, immigration and integration challenges 01-02 April 2016

AGENDA

The sessions will be private roundtables of 35-40 high-ranking politicians and government advisers, as well as leading foreign policy, immigration experts and political strategists from EU countries and the US. They will be carefully chaired and structured with the intention of having frank and interactive debates around the table touching on key themes.

The seminar will be held in partnership with the Italian Democratic Party. The seminar series forms a contribution to Policy Network’s Progressive Governance meetings.

01 April 2016: Dinner and informal discussion

From 19.45 - Hosteria Grappolo d’Oro (Piazza della Cancelleria 80, 00186 Roma)

Theme: Europe’s crises (refugees, Brexit…): how do we move towards common and sustainable solutions?

Key questions: - How can the EU better coordinate efforts to master the ongoing and future challenges caused by the arrival of thousands of migrants and refugees? - How can trust between Western and Central/Eastern European countries be restored? - Should European progressives bring forward proposals to bolster EU borders, or intensify cross-border cooperation with neighbouring countries in the Mediterranean? - After the UK-EU deal: can progressives work towards a more differentiated EU?

02 April 2016: Seminar hosted by the PD group at the Camera dei Deputati

Venue : Hotel Nazionale - Sala Capranichetta (Piazza Montecitorio, 131 - 00186 Roma)

8.30 Welcome, coffee

9:00 Welcome remarks by and Laura Gravani, secretary of the Democratic Party group in the Italian Chamber of Deputies, and Peter Mandelson, president of Policy Network

9:10 Session 1: Europe’s security in the Middle East and North Africa

Key questions: - What should be a common centre-left agenda to tackle the great number of conflict zones in the Middle East, North Africa and Ukraine? - Are military interventions back on the table, or should the centre-left focus on building a strategy around development aid and multilateral/structural diplomacy through international organisations? - To what extend should the EU and national governments encourage other countries (Saudi Arabia, Iran, China, etc.) to play a greater role in conflict resolution? - How prepared are Europe’s civilian and military forces to play an active part in rebuilding state structures and keeping peace in countries that have recently experienced war?

10.45 Coffee break

11.00 Session 2: The politics of migration: how to make the case for better integration?

Key questions: - Education, employment and social policy: which reforms are needed to turn the integration of new migrants into a success story? - How can the centre-left address the cultural challenges of integration? - How can the centre-left remain electorally above water in the context of migration pressures and against the backdrop of populist threat?

12.30 Perspectives on the EU’s global role

Closing remarks by Paolo Gentiloni, minister of foreign affairs of Italy

Followed by a Q&A session

13.15 End of the seminar - lunch

PARTICIPANT LIST (subject to change)

Vincenzo Amendola is national secretary of the Democratic party and spokesperson on foreign and European affairs, Italy.

Lodewijk Asscher is deputy prime minister of The Netherlands and minister of social affairs and employment.

Matt Browne is senior fellow at Center for American Progress, USA.

Carlos Carnero Gonzalez is director of the Fundación Alternativas, Madrid.

John Crombez is leader of the SP.A, Belgium.

Carlotta de Franceschi is founding president of the Action Institute and a former economic adviser to Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.

Harlem Désir is minister for European affairs of France.

Patrick Diamond is co-chair of Policy Network and former head of policy planning in 10 Downing Street and senior policy adviser to the UK prime minister.

Giacomo Filibek is deputy secretary General of the Party of European Socialists (PES).

Gilles Finchelstein is the director of the Fondation Jean-Jaurès, Paris.

Caroline Gennez is member of the Flemish parliament and former leader of the SP.A, Belgium.

Paolo Gentiloni is foreign minister of Italy.

Sandro Gozi is secretary of state for European affairs of Italy.

Laura Gravani, member of parliament for the Democratic Party and secretary of the Democratic group in the Chamber of Deputies.

Ettore Greco is director of the Italian Institute of International Affairs (IAI).

Francesco Gualdi is an adviser to Sandro Gozi.

Ernst Hillebrand is director of the Friedrich-Ebert Stiftung office in Rome.

Joost Hiltermann is Middle East and North Africa program director at the International Crisis Group.

Susan Hitch is manager of the Lord Sainsbury of Turville’s pro bono programme and a Policy Network board member, UK.

Emma Kinloch is senior events and stakeholder manager at Policy Network, UK.

Zaki Laidi is an adviser to the French prime minister, Manuel Valls.

Nicola Latorre is senator of the Democratic Party and president of the defence committee, Italy.

Matthew Laza is director of Policy Network, UK.

Emma Lennartsson is secretary of state to the Swedish prime minister Stefan Löfven.

Roger Liddle is co-chair of Policy Network and a member of the House of Lords, UK.

Selma Mahfouz is chief economist at the French ministry of labour.

Peter Mandelson is president of Policy Network and former UK business, innovation and skills Secretary of State and EU trade commissioner, UK.

Alessandro Maran is vice president of the senate for the Democratic Party, Italy.

Alison McGovern is a UK member of parliament for the Labour party and chair of Progress.

Miguel Ángel Moratinos is a member of the Spanish Congress and a former foreign affairs minister.

Rainer Münz is an adviser in the social affairs team at the European Political Strategy Centre.

Enrico Petrocelli is a member of the cabinet of Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for foreign affairs and security policy and vice-president of the European Commission.

Marco Piantini is a senior adviser on EU affairs to the Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi.

Lia Quartapelle is a member of parliament for the Democratic Party, Italy.

Florian Ranft is a policy researcher at Policy Network, UK.

Emma Reynolds is a UK member of parliament for the Labour Party and a former shadow minister for Europe.

Constance Rivière is a senior political adviser to Francois Hollande, France.

Katherine Roberts is head of finance and operations at Policy Network, UK.

German Rodríguez is a socialist MP and responsibly for defence, Spain.

Paul Scheffer is professor and author of Immigrant Nations, The Netherlands.

Marina Sereni is vice-president of the Italian Chamber of Deputies and a member of parliament for the Democratic Party.

Monika Sie Dhian Ho is director of the Wiardi Beckman Stichting (WBS), The Netherlands.

Philip Steinberg is a senior political adviser to the German vice-chancellor and president of the SPD Sigmar Gabriel.

Renaud Thillaye is deputy director of Policy Network, UK.