The Pontignano Conference, established in 1993, brings together the British and Italian politicians, parliamentarians, business people, academics, journalists and other opinion formers. The themes under discussion at the Conference are the key issues facing Britain and Italy in Europe today. It is chaired by Chris Patten and Prof. Giuliano Amato and takes place every year in September. The Conference is organised by the British Council and the British Embassy in Rome in collaboration with the Italian Embassy in London, the University of Siena and St Antony's College, Oxford.
The Conference is held under the Chatham House Rule, therefore participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed.
This year the Conference celebrates its 20th anniversary and will take place from 21 to 23 September, at the Certosa di Pontignano, near Siena
Four working groups will discuss in detail the following themes:
Re-wiring European Economies: what growth at what cost? European economies need to be resuscitated and rewired for growth. But will Europe’s treasured social contracts and welfare systems have to be jettisoned in the process? Can Europe preserve an edge in Global R&D and Intellectual Property’? Can the EU 27 survive as largely post-industrial knowledge economies’? What would be left of Europe after this crisis?
Reinventing democracy for a nimble EU: The crisis has forced a return to nationalist narratives. Solutions to the crisis seem to be incompatible with current democratic systems. The markets have influenced policy more than the prospect of being voted out of power. Does this mean we need to reinvent democracy and recalibrate the role of the nation state in the EU? How can we instigate enough trust in democratic institutions for them to be nimble enough to prevent future crises on voters’ behalf? Do we need Europe-wide institutional roles and leaders (and new systems to elect them) to better compete globally?
Europe in the world: retired heavyweight or new champion lightweight? How will the evolving political system in the EU prepare it for competing with a resurgent Asia and rising Brazil? How can a crisis-weakened Europe forge an effective foreign policy in its neighbourhood and further afield? What role do we want to play in the world?
Leadership: clear paths for a sustainable future? The European political and economic crisis is exacerbated, some would say caused by, defective leadership. In particular, the young generation is taking the pain for faults of past leadership. Will the next 20 years be different by integrating intergenerational responsibility into policy objectives? Or is our political system geared to producing short term poll-followers rather than more visionary poll-shapers? Do we need to re-evaluate how leaders are selected and how they act in contemporary media and market driven democracies? What do business leaders and the Arab spring teach us about new forms of leadership?
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