The Institute of the Regions of Europe (IRE) cordially invites you to the 21st Salzburg Europe Summit 2025.

Salzburg. The European congress, with over 60 speakers from across Europe, will take place under the motto "Europe and Hope" from September 28 to 30, 2025, at the Salzburg Congress.

The high-level sessions will address topics such as:

• 30 Years of Austria in the EU
• Europe: Is Hope Reasonable?
• Europe & Migration
• EU Enlargement
• Energy and Supply Security
• Mobility as a Driver of European Integration
• Challenges of Demographic Change in Europe
• Circular Economy (as part of the Austrian EUSALP Presidency 2025)

The following politicians have so far been confirmed as speakers for this summit:

Federal Chancellor Christian Stocker; Deputy Prime Minister Cristina Gherasimov (Republic of Moldova); EU Commissioner Magnus Brunner; EU Minister Claudia Plakolm; Minister of Economic Affairs Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer; Foreign Minister Igli Hasani (Albania); Tibor Navracsics, Minister for Regional Development (Hungary); former Prime Minister of the Netherlands Jan-Peter Balkenende; former Federal Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel; former Federal Chancellor Franz Vranitzky; former EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn; Karoline Edtstadler, designated Governor of Salzburg; Deputy Governor Stefan Schnöll; Tobias Gotthardt, State Secretary for Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy, Free State of 

Bavaria; Daniela Gutschi, Salzburg State Councillor for Health; Bernhard Auinger, Mayor of the City of Salzburg; Sirpa Pietikäinen, Member of the European Parliament, Finland; Åsa Ågren Wikström, Member of the Västerbotten Regional Parliament, Sweden; and many more.

The speakers from the fields of business, science and diplomacy who have confirmed their participation so far:

Michael Baminger, CEO of Salzburg AG; Kurt Bauer, Head of Long-Distance Transport & New Rail Business, ÖBB-Personenverkehr AG, Austria; Ralph Beisel, Managing Director of the German Airports Association (ADV); H.E. Sinisa Bencun, Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina; Alexander Biach, Director General of the Social Insurance for the Self-Employed, Austria; Ilka Dubernet, Head of Unit, Institute for Traffic and Mobility Research, German Aerospace Center, Germany; Bohdan Dzyurakh, Apostolic Exarch for the Catholic Ukrainians of the Byzantine Rite in Germany and Scandinavia; Gerhard Christiner, Spokesperson of the Board of Austrian Power Grid APG; Kristin De Troyer, theologian, Belgium; David Engels, Philosopher and historian, Belgium; Walter Haas, Managing Director, Innovation Salzburg, Austria; Karl Habsburg, entrepreneur; Claudia Hermes, Country Director of GIZ in the Republic of Moldova; Vera Hofbauer, Head of Traffic Section, Federal Ministry for Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure, Austria;  Andreas Kiefer, former Secretary General of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, Council of Europe (2010-2022); Khatia Kikalishvili, Program Director for the Eastern Neighborhood, Center for Liberal Modernity, Berlin; Andreas Klauser, Chairman of the Board of PALFINGER AG; Waltraud Langer, Regional Director of ORF Salzburg; Daniel Mușat, Regional Sales Director SEE & Romania, Serbia, Bulgaria, Zumtobel Lightning, Romania; Tamara Myers, SDG Expert, SOURCE, Geneva; Jürgen Osterbrink, Professor, Director of the Institute of Nursing Sciences, PMU Salzburg; Markus Schwinghammer, Geopolitics expert, DisInfo Consulting, Vienna; Harald Stranzl, Ambassador, Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs; Christine Vallaster, Strategy & CSR for companies in frame of Circular Economy, University of Salzburg and many more.

The following topics will be discussed in exciting workshops:

"Values. Orientation. Hope. Why the European Union must rediscover its values ​​- and how it can do so" (in cooperation with the Order of St. George) and

"War of Words - Disinformation Campaigns Against Europe" (in cooperation with the Multilateral Dialogue of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Vienna).

At an art exhibition, in cooperation with the renowned cultural organization HDK Napredak, we present young artists from the Brčko district, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The musical interlude at the Festive Reception will be created by: Kolarac Foundation, Belgrade, Serbia. The European anthem will be presented by the students of the Music Class of the High School Maxglan, Salzburg.