This Synthesis by Nicole Koenig provides an overview of the discussion during the conference entitled “20 years after ‘Core Europe’: where do we stand and where are we heading?” The conference was organised by our Berlin office, the Jacques Delors Institut – Berlin in partnership with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and the Open Society Initiative for Europe and took place in Berlin on 1 September 2014.
It is based on three main issues:

1. Assessment: Europe at yet another crossroads
2. Ways ahead
3. Potential obstacles
and concludes by stating “it’s only the start“.

Speakers at the conference were:
– Joachim Bitterlich, former Head of the European Department at the German Chancellery and member of the Board of directors of Notre Europe – Jacques Delors Institute
– Dr Franziska Brantner, member of the Bundestag for the Alliance ’90/The Greens
– Dr Fabien Dell, Europe Consultant of France Stratégie and member of the Eiffel Group
– Henrik Enderlein, director of the Jacques Delors Institut – Berlin
– Matthias Fekl, member of the French National Assembly for the Socialist Party
– Dr Ulrike Guérot, director of European Democracy Lab
– Karl Lamers, former Foreign Policy Spokesperson of the CDU/CSU Bundestag faction
– Professeur Dr Franz Mayer, Chair of Public and European Law at the University of Bielefeld and member of the Glienicker Gruppe
– Pierre Moscovici, former French Finance Minister and designated EU Commission candidate
– Dr Hans-Gert Pöttering, former President of the European Parliament and Chairman of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation
– Dr Wolfgang Schäuble, German Minister of Finances

This Synthesis is also available in German and French.