State of Europe 2020: the festival of politics and ideas to transform Europe

As the WHO’s first African Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has been working at the forefront of the organisation’s global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to his election, he served as Ethiopia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs where he led efforts to negotiate the Addis Ababa Action Agenda for the Sustainable Development Goals. As Ethiopia’s Minister of Health, he increased access to healthcare for millions of Ethiopians. He is also an experienced health scholar, researcher, and diplomat with first-hand experience in leadership in emergency responses to epidemics.

Throughout her career, Baroness Valerie Amos consistently sustained an interest in, and commitment to, issues of equality and social justice. In 1997, she was appointed a Labour life peer and was the first black woman to serve in a British Cabinet as Secretary of State for International Development. She went on to become Leader of the House of Lords. In addition to her career at local and national level in the UK, she served as Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs at the United Nations. She was also UK High Commissioner to Australia and worked extensively in South Africa.

Li Andersson is a prominent Finnish politician and ardent civil rights activist. She is the chair of the Left Alliance Party and part of the Finnish Government coalition of five parties that are all led by women. Political engagement is in her DNA and despite her young age she can claim more than a decade of experience on the political stage. She chaired her party’s youth organisation and is now a city councillor of Turku. Since 2015, she has combined this municipal experience with her engagement at the national parliament.

Inger Andersen’s career has been shaped by a passion for conservation and sustainable development with more than 30 years of experience in international development economics, environmental sustainability and policy-making, as well as generating on-the-ground impact. Prior to her current appointment, Inger was the Director-General of the International Union for Conversation of Nature (IUCN). She has held various leadership roles at the World Bank including as Vice President of the Middle East and North Africa. At the United Nations, she started in the UN Sudano-Sahelian office working on drought and desertification issues before being appointed UNDP’s Water and Environment Coordinator for the Arab Region.

Ricardo Baptista Leite is best known as a Member of the Portuguese Parliament where he currently serves as a member of the committee on health. He also founded the UNITE global network of parliamentarians committed to achieving political impact towards ending infectious diseases as a global health threat. He is a medical doctor with specific training in infectious diseases, having studied at Johns Hopkins University and Harvard Medical School, and has an active role on a number of scientific and advisory boards of health-related foundations and organisations – including his role as Head of Public Health at the Catholic University of Portugal.

As a long-standing member of the German Social Democratic Party (SPD) and recent Member of the European Parliament for the Party of European Socialists, Gabriele Bischoff is a pillar of progressive politics. Early on in her career, she worked for IG Metall, Germany’s largest trade union, as Senior Advisor for Equality. She spent several years in Brussels as Social Attaché at the Permanent Representation of Germany before advising the EU Presidency at the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. As head of the European Policy Department at the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB), Gabriele also served as member of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC).

Tim Brett has been a member of the Coca-Cola family for over 20 years, under various portfolios. As Executive Vice-President for Coca-Cola’s operations in Japan, he was responsible for franchise operations and commercial leadership. He also steered the company’s strategy across Europe, including in Central Europe and the Baltics. He was recently recognised for his work, being elected President of UNESDA Soft Drinks Europe. Tim prides himself on advancing the industries’ focus on environmental sustainability, healthy diets and economic growth.

As part of the Renew Group at the European Parliament, Pascal Canfin is an ally of President Macron and positions himself as a leading voice pushing for an ambitious EU Green Deal. Pascal was the Chief Executive Officer of World Wildlife Fund (WWF) France, working on biodiversity conservation, the energy transition, and altering agri-food practices. Throughout 2015 and until COP 21, he worked closely as an adviser to Laurent Fabius to make the Paris Agreement a success. Prior to this, he also worked as Minister Delegate for Development at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs pushing for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be adopted in 2015.

Throughout his career, Jean-Pierre Clamadieu presided over some of the biggest industry players in Europe. He started his career within the French public sector at the Ministry of Industry and as technical advisor to the Minister of Labour. Later on, as member of the Rhône-Poulenc group, he held several management positions. Jean-Pierre was CEO and Chairman-CEO of the Rhodia group before becoming Vice Chairman of the Solvay Executive Committee. He then served as Chairman of the Executive Committee and CEO of Solvay. Since 2018, he has served as the Director and Chairman of the Board of Engie as well as Senior Independent Director of the AXA Board of Directors.

Hélène Conway-Mouret is a French academic and politician with in-depth knowledge of security and defence issues. She has been a central figure in France’s relations abroad, serving as Vice-President of the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Armed Forces Committee in the Senate, rapporteur for the budget of the equipment of the Armed Forces, and Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs in charge of French citizens living abroad. She also founded the Delegation for Women’s Rights and Equal Opportunities in the Senate. Hélène is a regular contributor of articles on security and defence matters.

Helena Dalli is a Maltese labour politician and the first EU Commissioner focused on strengthening Europe’s commitment to equality and inclusion. Prior to taking her role as Commissioner, Helena held various political roles at the national level including as Member of Parliament, Minister for European Affairs and Equality, and Minister for Social Dialogue, Consumer Affairs and Civil Liberties. Under her direction, the Maltese government introduced several laws and policies to strengthen equality and human rights, placing her country among the first in Europe in this field. In 2016, Helena won the European Diversity Award, recognising her positive reform efforts in Malta.

Alexandra Dariescu, Friends of Europe 2018 Young European Leader (EYL40), is an international concert pianist, creator and producer of The Nutcracker and I, RNCM Honorary Associate Artist, Cultural Ambassador of Romania, Patron Music in Lyddington and Officer of the Romanian Crown. Alexandra has performed throughout the world, from Carnegie Hall in New York, to Sydney Opera House, Dubai Opera House, Concertgebouw Amsterdam and in 2013 she became the first ever female Romanian pianist to perform at the Royal Albert Hall. An activist for gender equality rights in classical music, Alexandra dedicates her life to education projects, building bridges and reaching out to the younger generation.

Etienne (Stevy) Davignon is one of the few statesmen in Europe who has been actively involved in EU affairs from the beginning, from his early role as Chief of Staff to Paul-Henri Spaak to today. He has held high-level positions in both the public and private sectors, including as Vice-President of the European Commission, President of the Société Générale de Belgique, first President of the International Energy Agency and through various board mandates.

A molecular biochemist and bioinformatician by training, Matthias Evers co-leads McKinsey’s global work in R&D and medical functions. He has directed projects in China, Europe, India, and the United States, supporting pharmaceutical and medical-product companies as they pursue innovation, drive R&D productivity, define drug and asset strategies. Passionate about using science innovation to serve patients better, Matthias pursues several cross-industry activities to fuel innovation and create more science-leadership capacity.

Emmanuel Faber has over two decades of experience at Danone. Under his leadership, the company became the first French listed purpose-driven company in line with Danone’s ‘One Planet. One Health’ framework of action. Strongly committed to promoting innovative inclusive business models, he champions the global business movement for biodiversity with the “One Planet Business for Biodiversity” (OP2B) coalition. Hosted by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), it gathers 21 leading companies joining forces to step up regenerative farming practices and to protect biodiversity. Emmanuel also co-chairs the CEO-led Consumer Goods Forum helping the world’s retailers and consumer goods manufacturers to secure consumer trust and drive positive change. He spearheads the Business for Inclusive Growth (B4IG) initiative, a first-of-its kind coalition of 40 leading global companies and partners committed to tackling inequalities and promoting inclusive growth.

Jasna Gabric is the mayor of Trbovlje, a former mining town in Slovenia. A member of the municipal council since the age of 25, she was the youngest Slovenian mayor when elected. Unemployment in her town has fallen by almost half thanks to her role in implementing a successful incubator for start-ups. Her effort also focussed on reforming the municipality to make it more efficient and responsive. These achievements have received widespread recognition, in particular from the City Mayors Foundation which named her Mayor of Distinction. She is seen as a role model for young female politicians.

João Gomes Cravinho is a seasoned Portuguese diplomat and politician. Prior to his current appointment, João focused his attention on the world’s top emerging markets, acting as the EU’s ambassador to India and Brazil. He also served as the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation in Portugal. Earlier in his career, he was a lecturer on International Relations at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Coimbra, as well as a guest teacher at ISCTE in Lisbon, and at the Faculty of Law of the Universidade Nova de Lisboa. He has also authored a book, Visões do Mundo, as well as numerous articles in specialised academic publications and newspapers.

In addition to his professorship at Oxford University, Timothy Garton Ash is also the Isaiah Berlin Professorial Fellow at St Anthony’s College, Oxford, and a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution of Stanford University. A well-renowned author, he has published several books on contemporary history and politics, exploring many facets of Europe over the last half-century. He also writes a column on international affairs in The Guardian and is a regular contributor to the New York Review of Books. Amongst other rewards, he has received the International Charlemagne Prize of the City of Aachen, for services to the European unity.

As head of ERT, a unique platform bringing together some of the biggest players of Europe’s industrial and technological sector, Frank Heemskerk is committed to keeping Europe competitive while promoting sustainable growth, jobs and prosperity. Frank kick-started his career in the private sector with a variety of positions at ABN AMRO Bank. He then served as Dutch Member of Parliament, before becoming the Minister for Foreign Trade. Following his career in national politics, Frank worked as Executive Director of the World Bank. He is currently also a visiting lecturer at the University of Leiden and chair of the Board of Amnesty International in the Netherlands.

Pawel Herczynski oversees the EU’s external security policies in the areas of non-proliferation, arms control and disarmament, counter-terrorism/countering violent extremism, cyber, maritime and space security as well as EU sanctions. Prior to joining the EEAS, he served as Representative of Poland to the Political and Security Committee of the EU in Brussels. He held several senior positions within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland, including Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN in New York, Deputy Director of the EU Department, Head of the Iraq Task Team and Deputy Representative to the NATO Political Committee in Brussels.

Prior to joining Friends of Europe, Dharmendra Kanani was director of policy at the European Foundation Centre (EFC). He was the England director at the Big Lottery Fund, the largest independent funder in the UK and fourth largest in the world. Dharmendra has held senior positions in the public and voluntary sector and advisor to numerous ministerial policy initiatives across the UK.

Gábor Kerpel-Fronius is a Hungarian journalist, businessman and politician. A member of the new progressive liberal Momentum Movement, he ran as candidate in the last European elections. He was also the Momentum Movement candidate for Mayor of Budapest in the pre-elections of 2019. One of his chief aims is to strengthen data-based decision-making and to improve citizens’ lives with innovative and smart solutions. He also aims to strengthen participatory democracy through enhanced access to information.

Marco Lambvertini started his career with WWF early on as a youth volunteer in his native Italy. He currently works with world leaders, corporate executives and civil society to forge a future in which people and nature thrive. He sits on the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED) chaired by the Chinese Ministry of Environment. Marco is also an international ambassador of the Food and Land Use Coalition (FOLU), a founding member of the Nature Action Agenda and Friends of Ocean Action of the World Economic Forum (WEF), Business for Nature Coalition and the Global Commons Alliance.

Prior to assuming his current role, Jean-Luc Lemercier served as the Vice-President of transcatheter heart valves EMEA. Under his leadership at Edwards Lifesciences, the company successfully launched the SAPIEN transcatheter heart valve technology and built its leadership position in Europe. Edwards Lifesciences is the global leader in patient-focused medical innovations for structural heart disease, as well as critical care and surgical monitoring. Jean-Luc also serves as Chair of the Cardiovascular Sector Group of MedTech Europe, the association representing the medical technology industry in Europe.

Joe is the Editor of Debating Europe. He has been active in the EU blogosphere since 2008. Before starting work for Friends of Europe in 2011, he worked as a freelance journalist in the UK and Brussels, and edited BlogActiv.eu, a dedicated EU blogging platform. A part of Friends of Europe, Debating Europe is a successful online discussion platform based on a simple model: citizens ask questions, policymakers and experts respond. Since launching, it has built a 4.5 million strong community of citizens and a social media following of over 280,000 people from across Europe.

Cecilia Malmström is a renowned Swedish politician who has held various positions at the national and European level. She is currently the Swedish candidate for the position of Secretary-General of the OECD. Previously, as European Commissioner for Trade, she was at the helm of an ambitious trade agenda, seeking to benefit European citizens, SMEs and the broader economy. Cecilia was also key in negotiating bilateral trade agreements for the EU, including a comprehensive EU-China investment agreement. Throughout her tenure, she contributed to a more transparent and value-based EU trade policy. Prior to her time in Brussels, Cecilia was also Minister for EU Affairs in the Swedish government and Member of the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs, and on Constitutional Affairs.

Bertalan Meskó is The Medical Futurist and Director of The Medical Futurist Institute analyzing how science fiction technologies can become reality in medicine and healthcare. As a geek physician with a PhD in genomics, he is also an Amazon Top 100 author and a Private Professor at Semmelweis Medical School in Budapest. With 500+ presentations including courses at Harvard, Stanford and Yale Universities, Singularity University’s Futuremed course at NASA Ames campus and organizations including the 10 biggest pharmaceutical companies, he is one of the top voices globally on healthcare technology. Bertalan was featured by dozens of top publications, including CNN, the World Health Organization, National Geographic, Forbes, TIME magazine, BBC, and the New York Times. He publishes his analyses regularly on medicalfuturist.com.

Domna Michailidou is a Greek deputy minister and economist working on growth strategy, capital markets and public finance. She was previously reforms’ advisor to Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Leader of New Democracy and Greek Prime Minister. Domna has advised several governmental and non-governmental institutions including the UN Development Programme, the British Council and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). She has also worked for the OECD in Paris and Athens as an economist and competition expert. In addition to her governmental work, Domna teaches economics courses at Cambridge and University College London and has written a number of publications and books.

As Founder of Clarity AI, Rebeca Minguela looks to solve the problem of inefficient and unequal allocation of capital by building an automated tool which rates the investment portfolios of a range of projects, companies, governments and NGOs. Rebeca is also the Founder of the Blink Booking mobile app, an award-winning last-minute booking app that is a market leader in Europe with more than 800,000 downloads, almost 3,000 hotels and available in six languages before its sale to Groupon. Previously, Rebeca served as a consultant at the Boston Consulting Group and as engineer at the German Aerospace Agency, Siemens and IBM.

Mircea Geoana has led a distinguished domestic and international career. He served as the Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Ambassador to the United States. He was also the President of the Romanian Senate, President of the Social Democratic Party, and Chairman of the Joint Committee of the Romanian Senate and Chamber of Deputies for Romania’s Accession to the Schengen Area. Mircea is a strong advocate of transatlantic integration and has held several international positions, including OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and personal representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for Georgia. He is President and founder of the Aspen Institute Romania and has published extensively.

A distinguished economist, Mario Monti has cemented his reputation as a committed supporter of the single currency and a talented negotiator leading a government of technocrats in the wake of the Italian debt crisis in late 2011. Most recently, he chaired the High-Level Group on Own Resources, a consultative committee of the European Union, aimed at proposing new forms of revenue for the European Union’s budget, which resulted in the final report “Future Financing of the EU”, arguing for new tax sources.

Emma Navarro is responsible for the financing of the environment, climate action and the circular economy at the EIB. Starting off her career in the public sector, she is keen in modernising the European economy to make it more competitive while triggering growth and employment. Prior to joining the EU’s climate bank, Emma was president of the Instituto de Crédito Oficial (ICO), director of the office of the Spain Minister for Economic Affairs, Industry and Competitiveness and advisor at the International Monetary Fund, while also being member of the Bank of Spain’s governing council and board member of the Spanish National Securities Market Commission.

Joseph Nye is ranked as one of the most influential scholars on American foreign policy. He notably co-founded, along with Robert Keohane, the international relations theory of neoliberalism. Together with Keohane, he also coined the concepts of ‘asymmetrical’ and ‘complex interdependence’. Prior to his current appointment, he served as Dean of Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, Assistant Secretary of Defence for International Security Affairs, Chair of the National Intelligence Council, and Deputy Under Secretary of State for Security Assistance, Science and Technology. He is also the author of widely-published books such as “Soft Power”, “The Future of Power”, “Is the American Century Over?” and many more.

Agnès Pannier-Runacher is a French business executive and politician of La République En Marche! As Minister Delegate for Industry, she is the driving force for her country’s industrial policy. She describes her portfolio as the “ministry of solutions”, seeking to create a more sustainable outlook for the future of industry. In her previous role as Inspector of Finance at the Ministry of Finance, she pushed for stronger industrial policies as the head of the sector committee. Agnès was also at the heart of designing France’s support plan for the automobile and air traffic sector.

Samira Rafaela is a Dutch Member of the European Parliament for the social-liberal political party D66. As such she is part of the Renew Europe Group. Rafaela ran on the promise to fight for a strong, social and secure Europe. She strongly believes that the EU is at its best when we work together to diminish inequality and celebrate our diversity. Samira brings a unique mix of background and life experiences to that end. To be “United in Diversity”, as the EU’s official motto goes. She is Co-chair of the European Parliament Anti-Racism and Diversity Intergroup.

Mary Robinson is a prominent Irish politician, widely recognised as having reinvented the office of the presidency during her time as President of Ireland. Mary’s passion for human rights and gender equality have seen her in the role of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, as well as the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy in three roles. Through the Mary Robinson Foundation, as well as her current position at The Elders, she has been a leading voice in the climate justice debate. Mary serves as Patron of the International Science Council and Patron of the Board of the Institute of Human Rights and Business, is an Ambassador for The B Team, in addition to being a board member of several organisations including the Mo Ibrahim Foundation and the Aurora Foundation.

Tamsin Rose is Senior Fellow at Friends of Europe. Having studied international relations, she has 25 years of experience working across the European continent from Ireland to Mongolia. A natural communicator, Tamsin has been a radio reporter, worked on press for the EU Delegation in Moscow and is currently a member of the external speaker team for the European Commission Directorate General for Communication, describing how the EU works and key policies to visitor groups from around the world. Since 2002 she has specialised in public health and public participation issues, serving as Secretary General of the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA), and providing strategic advice for health groups on how to engage successfully with the EU.

At the Vodafone Group, Joakim Reiter is responsible for public relations and corporate affairs, including policy and regulation, communications, security, sustainability and charitable activities. A Swedish diplomat by training, Joakim spent more than 15 years in the foreign service including as Ambassador to the World Trade Organization. He also worked as Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and at the European Union Directorate-General for Trade in the European Commission.

Jaana Remes heads MGI’s research on competitiveness, growth, health and urbanisation. Her most recent research sizes the global economic and social benefits from rethinking health as an investment, not just a cost to manage. Previously, she led MGI’s research on energy, with a focus on understanding the microeconomic underpinnings of global energy demand and energy productivity. Jaana also advises global business and government leaders on these topics. She is a non-resident Senior Fellow at the Foresight, Strategy, and Risks Initiative of the Atlantic Council.

Nicolas Schmit is a Luxembourg politician and diplomat. Before his current position, he served in the European Parliament for over a decade. An economist by training, Nicolas was in charge of Luxembourg’s labour and employment affairs. After a short stint in academia, he joined the Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign Affairs and held a variety of positions, including Head of the Department of International Economic Relations and Cooperation, before moving onto a Cabinet role as Minister for Labour. Prior to joining the government, Nicolas’ final diplomatic posting was as Permanent Representative to the EU.

Retiring from NATO in September 2018 after 38 years at the organisation, Jamie Shea has occupied a number of senior positions at NATO across a wide range of areas, including external relations, press and media, and policy planning. As NATO’s spokesperson, he was the face of the Alliance during the Bosnia and Kosovo conflicts. He later worked as the Director of Policy Planning in the private office of former Secretary General Rasmussen during the preparation of NATO’s 2010 Strategic Concept. Shea is also a regular lecturer and conference speaker on NATO and European security affairs.

From serving in the highest office in Finland to participating in the race for the European presidency and being both a Vice-President of the European Investment Bank (EIB) and an academic, Alexander Stubb has done it all. As an avid supporter of the European project, he was at the centre of the negotiations during the Treaties of Amsterdam, Nice and Lisbon. He has also been highly active on the national level, having served as Finance Minister, Foreign Minister and Trade and Europe Minister. For all these efforts, Alexander is widely recognised as an unparalleled force in European politics.

Dubravka Šuica is a prominent Croatian politician, who has spent much of her career devoted to local and regional concerns. Within the new College of Commissioners, she is responsible for bringing the EU closer to its citizens and to increase trust in its democracy. Dubravka also serves as first Vice-Chair of the European People’s Party in the European Parliament. She was awarded the World Mayor Award for her work as the first female mayor of her home town of Dubrovnik. Recognised as a champion for local issues, she was appointed President of the Croatian Delegation to the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe before she joined the European Parliament in 2013.

As chair of the new permanent tax subcommittee, Paul Tang is at the forefront of the European Parliament’s fight against tax evasion, tax fraud and tax avoidance, as well as financial transparency for taxation purposes. He has become a go-to figure on tax matters, providing ardent support for the digital tax and speaking out against tax evasion. In his national capacity, Paul represented the Dutch Labour Party in the EU elections, served in several party committees and acted as Member of the House of Representatives in the Netherlands.

Frans Timmermans oversees the EU’s ambitious strategy to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. As set in his mission letter, he is at the forefront of fighting the climate crisis. He has pushed for reinforced private investment, new clean technologies, stronger anti-pollution measures and different transportation methods as a way forward. Previously, Frans served as first Vice-President in charge of Better Regulation, Intern-Institutional Relations, the Rule of Law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights. At the national level, he served as the Dutch Minister of European Affairs and Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Nathalie Tocci is a renowned expert on European foreign policy, conflict resolution, the Middle East and the Mediterranean. She is Director of the Istituto Affari Internazionali and Honorary Professor at the University of Tübingen. As Special Advisor to HRVP Federica Mogherini, Nathalie wrote the European Global Strategy and worked on its implementation. Previously, she held research positions at the Centre for European Policy Studies in Brussels, the Transatlantic Academy in Washington and the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies in Florence. Nathalie was the recipient of the Anna Lindh award for her extraordinary work on European foreign policy.

Ulrik Vestergaard Knudsen is a Danish politician with extensive experience in international institutions. In his current portfolio, he is in charge of the OECD’s policy on science, technology and innovation; employment, labour and social affairs, migration, health; and entrepreneurship, SMEs, regions and cities. He also oversees the Centre for Skills and the newly established Well-Being, Inclusion, Sustainability and Equal Opportunity Centre (WISE). Jointly with the Secretary-General, Ulrik transformed the OECD Executive Committee in Special Session into the Global Strategy Group (GSG) to create a strategic forum to better discuss issues of global relevance.

An expert on China and globalisation, Huiyao (Henry) Wang sits at the helm of one of the world’s top 100 think tanks. In addition to this role, he advises the Chinese government on the State Council, to which he was appointed by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in 2015. Wang is a member of numerous academic networks and boards, and is a strong advocate for Track II diplomacy, promoting academic exchange between Chinese and foreign institutions. Well respected around the world for his expertise on issues such as global governance, trade and investment, migration and talent flows, he has also served as an advisor to the World Bank, IOM, ILO and the Paris Peace Forum.

In her research, Ngaire Woods focuses on how to enhance the governance of organisations, the challenges of globalisation, global development, and the role of international institutions and global economic governance. She is the founder of the Global Economic Governance Programme at Oxford University and co-founded the Oxford-Princeton Global Leaders Fellowship programme. Ngaire is also the chair of the Harvard University Visiting Committee on International Engagement. She serves, amongst others, as a member of the International Advisory Panel of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, on the Board of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, on the advisory boards of the Centre for Global Development and the African Leadership Institute.