Online FMA Visit to Portugal
2021-06-24 09:00 - 2021-06-25 16:30 (Europe/Helsinki)
From 24 to 25 June 2021 an FMA Delegation led by President Hans-Gert Pöttering participated in a virtual visit to Portugal on the occasion of the Presidency of the Council of the EU.
Find the full programme of the online visit here as well as the List of speakers.
Please find here the full report of the event.

2021 FMA Visit to Slovenia
2021-09-28 08:00 - 2021-09-29 17:00
Programme.
Profile of the speakers
Article “Europe yesterday, today, tomorrow “

On 27-28 September 2021 the FMA visit to Slovenia took place. A Delegation of 10 former MEPs from seven EU countries and different European political families headed to Ljubljana. The FMA President and European Parliament Former President (2007-2009) Hans-Gert Pöttering, led the Delegation.
The programme was organised with the valuable support of FMA Member from Slovenia, Ms Zofija Mazej Kukovic and included high-level meetings with the Slovenian Parliament and Government representatives to discuss about the priorities under the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU. Among other things, the work of the Conference on the Future of Europe was discussed.
H.E Igor Zorčič, Speaker of the National Assembly of Slovenia; Marko Pogačnik, President of the National Assembly’s Committee on European Union Affairs; Monika Gregorčič, President of the National Assembly’s Committee on Foreign Policy; Gašper Dovžan, State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Co-chair of the Executive Board of the Conference on the Future of Europe during the Slovenian Presidency; Dr Ernest Petrič, Senior Adviser to the President of the Republic of Slovenia were among the eminent speakers. The FMA Delegation also visited the Jozef Stefan Institute (JSI) and met with Dr. Romana Jordan, Advisor to the JSI Director and Member of the Administrative Board of the European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER).
A special public session entitled “Europe Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow” was co-organised with the European Parliament Liaison Office (EPLO) in Slovenia and webstreamed Live on the Platform of the Conference on the Future of Europe. During this session Former Members, Academics and students had the opportunity to discuss about the Conference on the Future of Europe, and in particular inter-generational solidarity in the EU, the role of education and civic involvement among other things.

Online 2022 FMA Visit to France
2022-02-28 - 2022-03-01
On 28 February and 1 March 2022, the FMA organised a virtual visit to France on the occasion of the French Presidency of the Council of the EU.
A delegation of European former parlamentarians led by FMA President Dr. Hans-Gert Pöttering participated in the two-day online visit to France. They met with representatives of the French Parliament and Government to discuss the priorities of the French Presidency of the EU Council.
When opening the FMA Virtual Visit to France, President Hans-Gert Pöttering condemned the aggression to Ukraine.
“We are meeting in extraordinary times. There is war in Europe. Russia has attacked a brother country, the people of Ukraine. It is not only an attack against the Ukrainian nation; it is an attack against the whole of Europe, on our values, of the dignity of the human being, freedom, democracy, legal order and peace. This is an historic moment and the citizens of Ukraine should know that we are here to help them.”
On 1 March 2022, the FMA co-organised a virtual public debate on the Future of Europe with the European Parliament Liaison Office in Paris and the Jean Monnet House.
During this session Former Members, Academics and students had the opportunity to discuss about the FMA Proposal to the Conference on the Future of Europe. The debate focused on the proposals for change related to the functioning of the EU: transnational lists, Council work and more transparent decisions, a common and operational defense capacity, etc.
The meeting was broadcasted live on our association’s Facebook page in English and French as well as on the YouTube page of the EPLO in Paris.

2022 FMA Visit to the Czech Republic
2022-10-23 08:00 - 2022-10-25 17:00
You can find here below the:

programme
list of participants
dossier

From 23 to 25 October 2022, a Delegation of ten Members of the Former Members Association under guidance of FMA President Dr. Klaus Hänsch, will visit the Czech Republic on the occasion of the Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU.
We cordially invite you on Tuesday 25 October 2022 to follow the online debate in English with a Delegation of former prominent Members of the European Parliament and Czech students. The Delegation consists of 10 former Members of Parliament, led by FMA President and former President of the European Parliament, Dr. Klaus Hänsch.
The debate will be moderated by Martin Sušienka, President of the Junior Diplomat Initiative and is going to tackle the current challenges, EU before and after the Lisbon treaty and EU’s role in post-war recovery.
You can follow the online event on Facebook live here: https://fb.me/e/1Rvx4dgH1

2023 FMA Visit to Sweden
2023-03-30 - 2023-03-31
You can find here below:

The program
The list of participants
The dossier

From 30 to 31 March 2023, a Delegation of Members of the Former Members Association under guidance of FMA President Dr. Klaus Hänsch, visited Sweden on the occasion of the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. It was a very enriching experience for everyone and some very interesting debates took place. Important topics such as green & energy transitions, rule of law, EU resilience, EU institutional reforms, cooperation between EU and NATO, Eurozone and the lessons learned from the pandemic were discussed.

2023 FMA Visit to Spain
2023-10-18 - 2023-10-20
Dossier
Profile of Participants
List of Participants
Profile of Speakers
Programme

From 18 to 20 October 2023, a Delegation of Members of the Former Members Association under guidance of FMA President Dr. Klaus Hänsch visited Spain on the occasion of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
The delegation met representatives of the Spanish Senate, the Congress of Deputies, the City Council of Madrid, the Spanish Government, and the Regional Government of Toledo. On 19 October, the delegation met the President of the Spanish Senate, Mr Pedro Rollán Ojeda, the President of the Congress of Deputies, Ms Francina Armengol, the President of the Plenary of the City Council of Madrid, Mr Borja Fanjul and Ms María Dolores Lledó Laredo, the Secretary-General for the European Union at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation. In addition, the FMA delegation participated in a dinner with three guest speakers: Mr Luis Planas Puchades, Minister for agriculture, fisheries, and food, Mr Enrique Barón Crespo, former President of the European Parliament and former FMA President, and Ms Cristina Gallach Figueras, Special Commissioner for the Alliance of the New Economy of the Language, Ministry of Economy.

On 20 October, the delegation will be led by FMA Vice-President Ms Monica Baldi and will head to Toledo where they will meet the President of the “Cortes de Castilla la Mancha”, Mr Pablo Bellido. The delegation will have a chance to discuss the cooperation between the European Union and regional authorities.

FMA Visit to Belgium
2024-04-08 19:00 - 2024-04-10 14:00
Programme
Profile of Speakers
Profile of Participants
Dossier
Website of the Presidency

From 8 to 9 April 2024, the Association of Former Members of the European Parliament (FMA) had a special “Visit to Belgium”, coinciding with the current Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU emphasizing the crucial themes of unity and democracy.
The kick-off dinner on 8 April, graced by guests-speakers Mathieu Grosch, Belgian former MEP, and Manu Desutter, President of the Association of Former Members of Parliament, Former Senators and Former Members of the European Parliament, set the tone for the two days “Visit to Belgium” of insightful discussions and exchanges about the Belgian Presidency. Mr Grosch advocated for greater alignment between Belgian and EU systems, while Desutter underscored the importance of leveraging EU influence to foster unity among member states.
The inaugural high-level debate, featuring H.E. Ambassador W. van de Voorde, delved into multifaceted issues ranging from the rule of law to EU competitiveness. Ambassador van de Voorde reiterated the Belgian Presidency’s commitment to unity and strength, encapsulated in the slogan of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union: PROTECT, STRENGTHEN, AND PREPARE.
The FMA Visit to Belgium continued with a presentation of the Belgian Institutional System by Pieter Caboor, Director of the Legal Department of the Chamber, and a guided tour of the Chamber of Representatives and the Senate.
Senator Gaëtan Van Goidsenhoven, co-president of the Federal Advisory Committee on European Affairs (FACEA), emphasized the importance of parliamentary diplomacy in fostering political dialogue. Meanwhile, André Flahaut, Member of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, highlighted the potential for EU strengthening through unity among member states.

2024 FMA Visit to Hungary
2024-10-23 - 2024-10-24
Dossier
Programme
List of participants
Profile of speakers
Profile of participants

From 23 to 25 October 2024, the Former Members Association of the European Parliament (FMA) visited Budapest, coinciding with the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
The delegation, composed of 26 former Members of the European Parliament from 12 different EU countries, was led by FMA President and Former President of the European Parliament (1994-1997) Dr. Klaus Hänsch and participated in a series of official meetings with representatives of the Hungarian Parliament, the Government and civil society organisations. The FMA Vice-President Monica Baldi, the Honorary Secretary Teresa Riera and Board Member Paul Rübig were also part of the delegation.
The main objective of this visit was to listen to the priorities of the upcoming Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, and to explore ways to address the most pressing issues on the EU agenda.
A full report about the FMA Visit to Hungary is included in the FMA December 2024 Bulletin.
Read the full Press Release here.

2025 FMA Visit to Poland
2025-03-26 - 2025-03-28
Dossier
Programme
List of Participants
Profile of Speakers
Profile of Participants

From 26 to 28 March 2025, the Former Members Association of the European Parliament (FMA) went to visit Poland, coinciding with Poland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union. A delegation of 31 former members of the European Parliament, led by FMA President and Former President of the European Parliament (1994-1997) Dr. Klaus Hänsch, travelled to the capital to visit key places related to the history of Poland and its involvement in the EU.
During these numerous visits, our delegation had the honour of meeting distinguished parliamentarians, representatives of the Polish government and key civil society actors to discuss EU security and defence policies in order to better understand the priorities of the ongoing Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, and to express ways to address the most pressing issues on the EU agenda.
A full report about the FMA visit to Poland will be included in the FMA June 2025 Bulletin
Read the full Press Release here.

2025 FMA Visit to Denmark
2025-11-05 - 2025-11-07
Dossier
Programme
List of Participants
Profile of Speakers
Profile of Participants

From 5 to 7 November 2025, the Former Members Association of the European Parliament (FMA) visited Copenhagen in Denmark, coinciding with Denmark’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union (1 July 2025 – 31 December 2025).
The FMA delegation, composed of 27 former Members of the European Parliament from 14 different EU countries, and the United Kingdom, was led by FMA President and Former President of the European Parliament (1994-1997) Dr. Klaus Hänsch and participated in a series of official meetings with representatives of the Danish Parliament, the Government and civil society organisations. The FMA Vice-President Monica Baldi, the Honorary Secretary Teresa Riera and the Treasurer Jean-Pierre Audy were also part of the delegation.
The main objective of this visit was to listen to the priorities of the Danish EU Council Presidency and to explore ways to address the most pressing issues on the EU agenda. The FMA delegation was pluralist in terms of political parties, reflecting a broad range of perspectives and ensuring a constructive and balanced exchange of views.
The programme included a visit to the Danish Parliament, where the FMA delegation met with Henrik Møller, Vice-Chairman of The European Affairs Committee, and Flemming Møller Mortensen, Member of The Foreign Affairs Committee and of The Greenland Committee, and Former Minister for Development Cooperation and Nordic Cooperation. The delegation also met with Mr Jonas Bering Liisberg, Secretary for European Policy and the Arctic at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ms Marie Bjerre, Minister for European Affairs.
At the European Parliament Liaison Office in Denmark, the FMA delegation had the honour of being welcomed by Mr Rasmus Nordqvist, Danish Member of the European Parliament, and Mr Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, former Prime Minister of Denmark and founder of Headspace Denmark.
Representatives from the European Environment Agency (EEA), Ms Catherine Ganzleben and Mr Tobias Long, presented “Europe’s environment 2025” (Every five years, EEA publishes its flagship report on the state of Europe’s environment. This the seventh state of the environment report published by the EEA since 1995).
Last but not least, the visit was an important opportunity to meet former Danish MEPs who are members of the Association. The delegation met Ms Kirsten Jensen, Mayor of the Hillerød Municipality and FMA member and, to discuss about the role and organisation of local authorities and municipalities in Denmark. A visit to the Workers’ Museum followed by a dinner debate also provided an opportunity for dialogue with trade union and employers’ representatives. With valuable contributions from Danish former MEPs and FMA members Mr John Iversen, Ms Karin Riis-Jørgensen and Ms Britta Thomsen, as well as Christoffer Thomas Skov, Deputy Director at Danish Industry organisation and Johan Moesgaard Andersen, EU Director at Dansk Metal.

A full report about the FMA visit to Denmark will be included in the FMA December 2025 Bulletin.
