Press Release – High-Level Conference – A Changed World

EUI Seminar Discusses the Trade War Between Canada and the United States with Former Members of the European Parliament

In an online seminar on April 7, the European University Institute will bring together former policymakers and experts from Europe and Canada to discuss recent global order transformations in the era of Trump 2.0: EU/US tensions, new international geopolitical balances, and growing commercial conflict.

Online Event (in English):

High-Level Seminar – A Changed World: Fostering Resilience in the New Global Order

When:

7 April 2025 | 11:00 – 13:00 CEST

Where:

Online – Zoom Webinar

European University Institute, Via Cavour 65, Florence, Italy

Journalists can participate in person and can interview our speakers after the event.

Online registrations here

The world order that Europeans and North Americans built together after World War II is undergoing an epochal and systematic crisis. The principles of this order, based on liberal democracy, free markets, and the rule of law, are clearly being challenged by the arrival of the new U.S. administration led by Donald Trump. Instead of strengthening its core values in the face of the rise of autocratic powers like China and Russia, the West seems to be heading towards inevitable fragmentation, with a trade war fought through tariffs and retaliations. This is beginning to outline the troubling contours of a fratricidal conflict between the United States, Europe and Canada.

This event, organised by the Florence School of Transnational Governance (EUI) in collaboration with the European Parliament Former Members Association (EP_FMA), brings together former Canadian and European policymakers, including prominent figures such as:

• Kim Campbell: 19th prime minister of Canada from June to November 1993. Campbell is the first and only female prime minister of Canada.

• Enrique Baròn Crespo, former President of the European Parliament, a prominent European political figure, with a career that includes strengthening European integration and promoting human rights and democracy.

• Danuta Hübner, former European Commissioner and member of EP_FMA, known for her work in European economic policies and governance. She served as president of the Committee on International Trade and is a key figure in global trade relations.

• Sir Graham Watson, former British Member of the European Parliament, known for his work in international politics, trade, and the environment, and his leadership on European and transatlantic cooperation issues.

In addition to these speakers, the seminar will feature contributions from Arancha González Laya, one of the leading experts in international trade and former Minister of Foreign Affairs in Spain, and Gian Paolo Meneghini, a European Parliament Fellow at the Robert Schuman Centre (EUI).

According to Fabrizio Tassinari, Executive Director of the Florence School of Transnational Governance:

“This event will provide a critical and urgent exchange between highly experienced political figures on one of the most important and concerning issues on the international agenda. Can Europe and Canada find a way to restore relations with Trump’s America, or should we prepare for the worst?”

Monica Baldi, Vice President of EP_FMA and a high-profile speaker at the event, added:

“In this historic moment, in which significant epochal transformations are taking place, it will be particularly interesting to engage in discussions with our Canadian colleagues and also hear the perspective from the academic world. We will analyse the new commercial dynamics, structural changes, and the new governance challenges that could undermine global stability.”

Note for in-person attendance:

Journalists are invited to participate in person in the seminar, with the opportunity to ask questions to the speakers after the event. To participate in person, please get in touch with Mariaclaudia Carella (mariaclaudia.carella@eui.eu) or reply to this email.

The full programme can be found here.

 

ABOUT THE FMA

The Former Members Association of the European Parliament (FMA) is made up of over 750 members, from the 27 Member States plus the United Kingdom, who voluntarily offer their experience and expertise to carry out the many activities of the association. With professionalism and passion, the members are committed to strengthening the European and international network of former MPs, to building democracy and to making people understand the functioning and current rules of the European institutions, especially the Parliament. Particularly appreciated are the interventions of the FMA members in seminars, conferences, in cooperation with universities and schools, such as the well-known educational program “EP to Campus”, in study visits and EU Presidency.

PRESS CONTACT

Valerie Raskin, Events & Communication Assistant

Email: formermembers@europarl.europa.eu – Tel. +32 (0)2 284 07 03

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