This year’s Treccani-Vigoni Forum, covering the theme “A New Sovereignty for Europe”, came to a close at Villa Vigoni. The event was jointly organised by Villa Vigoni and the Treccani Cultura Foundation.
2026 is a year of great symbolic importance for German-Italian relations: The Federal Republic of Germany and Italy re-established diplomatic relations 75 years ago. Villa Vigoni, the German-Italian Centre for European Dialogue, was founded 40 years ago. However, in view of the revolutionary transformations of our epoch, the ‘Forum’ was hardly a matter of complacent retrospection. Instead, its focus was set on the future prospects of the European Union in an epoch of profound geopolitical, economic and technological change.
The discussion centred on a number of key challenges: strengthening Europe’s strategic autonomy, ensuring economic competitiveness, the further development of institutional structures, security and defence policy, and the role of innovation. The debate therefore hinged on the significance of German-Italian relations for the future of the European project.
Among the speakers were Carlo Ossola, Giuliano Amato, Angelo Bolaffi, Miriam Meßling, Massimo Bray, Michele Valensise, Funda Tekin, Thomas Bagger and Giulio Tremonti. Their diverse institutional, academic, and cultural perspectives consequently gave rise to a rich dialogue.
Funda Tekin, Director of the Institute for European Politics (IEP) in Berlin, stated: “Even if the US is gradually pulling back, we Europeans stand firmly by Ukraine’s side. However, there is still a long way to go before we can establish a common European pillar within NATO.”
Ambassador Luigi Mattiolo, President of Villa Vigoni, emphasised the value of German-Italian cooperation as the engine driving European integration: “Italy and Germany recognise that a stronger and more influential Europe on an international stage is not built at the expense of nation states, but through closer ties and joint action by states, bringing together differing expectations and interests and aligning them with a common goal – to ensure that Europe remains a significant and influential factor in the dynamics of international relations, capable of defending its fundamental values and promoting dialogue and cooperation with other international actors.”
Thomas Bagger, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Italy, spoke about the role of bilateral relations in the future of the European Union and emphasised: “In an epoch in which Europe is being compelled to take urgent action, the Treccani-Vigoni Forum focuses on the great potential of even closer cooperation between Germany and Italy. When acting together, both countries can bring about meaningful change to our European Union.”
The Treccani-Vigoni Forum, jointly organised by Villa Vigoni and the Treccani Cultura Foundation, represents one component in the ongoing collaboration between the two institutions. A collaboration that aims to promote dialogue between Germany and Italy on key European issues. By a collective effort, the two institutions create opportunities for meetings and exchanges on topics of concern to the democratic public.
The 2026 edition also formed part of the two-year project “Re-Konstruktionen 2.0”, which is being realised by Villa Vigoni with funding from the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR).
Recent Comments