Highlights FEPS Annual Autumn Academy

Shaping Progressive Political Priorities for the 2019-2024 EU mandate

The FEPS Annual Autumn Academy (AAA) was established by FEPS – Foundation for European Progressive Studies in order to connect in an instructive, inspiring debate politicians and stakeholders of the local, regional, national and the European levels. The first edition of the AAA – the first and largest closed event in the history of FEPS – took place on Monday, 7^th October to Thursday 10^th October 2019 in Brussels. It was focused on what the progressive political priorities should be for the new EU mandate.

To that end, the FEPS AAA proved to be a timely initiative for the participants – those nominated by FEPS network of experts and all its member foundations – to interact with the newly elected Members of the European Parliament and vast network of FEPS partners and political representatives of the European Progressive Family from other European Institutions.

The great success of the AAA, confirmed by the feedback of our invited speakers and AAA Nominees, inspires FEPS to consolidate and expand this initiative in the years to come. This confidence comes when we look at the figures:

·FEPS, its member foundations and sister organisations brought about the most diverse representation of progressive stakeholders from across 26 EU member states: from students, to local councillors, parliamentarians and senators – 64 FEPS AAA Nominees contributed to our Academy!

·FEPS framed an intense 3-day programme consisting of 3 building blocks – EU after the elections and the political panorama of today; priorities of the Progressive Family for the 2019-2024 EU mandate; 3 country-case studies, 3 EU policy fields and side visits to 3 of the EU institutions;

·FEPS hosted 72 speakers, two legacy speeches by outgoing Commissioner Pierre Moscovici and EU High Representative Federica Mogherini, as also S&D Group President Iratxe García Pérez who addressed a FEPS event for the first time!

·12 S&D Group MEPs, out of which 5 heads of S&D national delegations (IT, PL, AT, ES, NL) and 1 S&D Group Vice President.

·The incredible support and involvement of the Progressive Family in the AAA: our thanks to PES, S&D Group in the EP, YES, PES Women, PES CoR, Rainbow Rose and IUSY!

Read  FEPS AAA open letter addressed to European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen

More information about the academy

Programme of the Academy

Watch the legacy speech by Commissioner Moscovici

Watch the legacy speech by High Representative Federica Mogherini

Watch the opening by FEPS President Maria Joao Rodrigues

Watch the main highlights: 

Check the photo gallery: