Pariser Platz Dialogue
December 2025
On 4 and 5 December 2025, the Pariser Platz Dialogue took place again next to the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. Serving as a platform for exchange and bringing together voices from both sides of the Rhine and across Europe to discuss and develop ideas on how France and Germany can initiate and enhance political action at the European level, this year’s sixth edition was titled “Europe’s moment – Franco-German action in the wake of an eroding global order.” [More impressions here]
December 2024
On 28 and 29 November 2024, the Pariser Platz Dialogue took place at the Axica Convention Centre in Berlin under the theme “Preparing 2029 – A Franco-German Outlook on the European Agenda.” The two-day program featured focused, Chatham House-style discussions addressing key priorities for Europe’s future, such as democratic resilience, EU competitiveness, investment needs, global trade, EU enlargement and reforms, European defence ambitions and the question of who will provide leadership. [More impressions here]
December 2023
On 30 November and 1 December 2023, French and German participants met in Berlin for our annual Pariser Platz Dialogue to discuss joint challenges and opportunities for cooperation. The event consisted of two days of Chatham House discussions among prominent figures from both countries. This year’s event took place under the name “De-risk and Decarbonise – Carving a common path towards a green and resilient EU.” Topics included the future of the Single Market, a green industrial strategy for Europe, global decarbonisation efforts, achieving a just green transition, European defence procurement, EU institutional reforms, and the priorities of the next Commission. [More impressions here]
December 2022
On 1 and 2 of December 2022 French and German participants met in Berlin to discuss joint challenges and opportunities for cooperation. The event was made up of two days of Chatham House discussions between prominent figures from both countries followed by a public event, in which our Director Johannes Lindner spoke with journalists on where we stand on crucial topics such as energy, security, economic prospects and the reform of European institutions. During the Chatham House portion, topics included inflation, European defence, energy policy and EU enlargement. [More impressions here]
December 2021
With a new German government now in power, the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union starting on 1 January 2022, and the upcoming presidential and legislative elections in France, the Franco-German partnership has entered a period of major political upheaval. Europe standing currently at an historical crossroads, how can France and Germany prepare a joint action plan for the post-election period? On 13 and 14 December, more than 50 high-ranked decision-makers from both countries met at the Parisez Platz Dialogue 2021 to discuss various topics related to Franco-German cooperation. [More impressions here]
December 2020
Under the title “Time to act: A new strategic agenda for Franco-German cooperation in Europe” the launch of our flagship event on 1 and 2 December 2020 brought together about 40 renowned German and French representatives from economy, politics, research and civil society for a two-day conference. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the event had to take place online. The Covid-19 pandemic continues to pose huge challenges for Europe and requires unprecedented transnational responses. We need intensive Franco-German cooperation as a driving force for ambitious European answers to the crisis now more than ever. How can Germany and France prepare their societies for the challenges of tomorrow? How can they develop a common approach? [More impressions here]
Spotlight
November 2025
European Ambitions on Defence and the Transatlantic Link. On 19 November, the Jacques Delors Centre, in collaboration with Sciences Po Paris, hosted MEP Tobias Cremer to talk about European defence ambitions. In his keynote, Cremer called on European defence industries to take entrepreneurial courage to become truly European champions rather than competing along national lines. He stressed that Europe’s ability to protect itself will depend not only on investment and capability but on a shared conviction that liberal democracy and the European project are worth defending. [More impressions here]
MAY 2025
Europe’s Role in a Fragmented World. In a keynote address on May 26 hosted at the Hertie School by the Jacques Delors Centre, Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank, delivered a compelling vision for Europe’s economic and financial leadership amid growing global fragmentation. Lagarde described how the post-war economic system – built on openness and multilateralism under US leadership – is now under pressure and questions are emerging about the future dominance of the US dollar. [More impressions here]
SEPTEMBER 2024
Strengthening European Defence in times of turmoil – What can France and Germany contribute? During an engaging discussion with Sciences Po students, Tobias Lindner, Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office, stressed the vital role of Franco-German cooperation in strengthening European defence. As leading European member states in defence matters, France and Germany are particularly expected to coordinate and launch new initiatives. These assessments were made on 17 September at Sciences Po in Paris. [More impressions here]
OCTOBER 2023
European Sovereignty: What is means and what it takes. Emmanuel Macron’s vision of European sovereignty emphasises a stronger, more united Europe that can assert its strategic autonomy. But what form should European sovereignty take? On 20 October, Garance Pineau, Macron’s distinguished advisor on European affairs, addressed these questions at the Hertie School, shedding light on the steps taken so far to achieve European sovereignty and Macron’s vision for the future. This event was co-hosted by Sciences Po. [More impressions here]
MARCH 2023
Building Coalitions in Europe and the World. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has led to tectonic shifts in international relations. On 9 March 2023, Jörg Kukies, Secretary of State at the German Federal Chancellery, discussed the effort to tackle the challenges raised or intensified by this war of aggression with us. The event was hosted by Sciences Po’s Paris School of International Affairs, with moderation by Arancha González Laya, Dean of PSIA and introduction by Johannes Lindner, Co-Director of the Jacques Delors Centre. [More impressions here]
Research meets Politics
October 2025
How should we invest in defence? A Franco-German Perspective. On 15 October 2025, the Jacques Delors Centre, in cooperation with the French Embassy in Berlin, hosted a Franco-German panel discussion on the future of European defence investment. The panel brought together leading policymakers and researchers to discuss how Europe can mobilise and coordinate the investments needed for a stronger, more autonomous defence. [More impressions here]
October 2024
What does Europe need to be competitive in artifical intelligence? On 1 October 2024, the Jacques Delors Centre, in collaboration with the French Embassy in Berlin, hosted a Franco-German panel discussion on the future of AI in the European Union. The discussion, approached from a Franco-German and broader European perspective, underscored the main challenges facing the EU to become a global leader in AI innovation. [More impressions here]
June 2024
Enhanced Competitiveness Through the Capital Markets Union? On 27 June 2024, the Jacques Delors Centre, in collaboration with the German Embassy in Paris, hosted the summer event of the Pariser Platz Dialogue series at Hôtel Beauharnais, the residence of the German Ambassador to France. The discussion focused on Enrico Letta’s report on the future of the single market. Approached from a Franco-German and broader European perspective, the discussion underscored the urgency of completing the Capital Markets Union (CMU) to enhance Europe’s competitiveness and financial stability. [More impressions here]
September 2023
European Democracy – 1848 and Today. On 12 September 2023 at the historic Paulskirche in Frankfurt, we commemorated the 175th anniversary of the 1848 revolutions with discussions on their legacy and implications for the European Union today. Featuring high-level speakers, the event included two main panels, titled: “Between European Democracy and the Nation State: How Do We Move Forward?” and “Before National Conceptions: How European Were the Revolutions of 1848?”. [More impressions here]
June 2022
European Sovereignty in a New Era: Franco-German Perspectives. On 22 June 2022, the Franco-German Dialogue annual summer event took place in a hybrid format for the first time. High-level guest speakers from the political and academic spheres came together to discuss the future of the European Union in the context of an energy crisis, but also at a time when the concept European sovereignty is challenged. French and German high-ranking representatives exchanged views on matters of energy, sovereignty, cooperation and security within the EU. [More impressions here]
June 2021
A Franco-German Response to the Climate Crisis? The climate crisis is making its way into the political discourse, sparing almost no field. To meet these challenges, innovative and transnational solutions are more than ever needed. To this end, we provided a Franco-German platform to discuss the decarbonisation of the economy, the growing security risks linked to climate change, as well as topics regarding green finance. Which scientific proposals can address these issues and how do policymakers respond to them? How will France and Germany meet these challenges? And how can both countries move forward and together contribute to a European model for a transition to climate neutrality? [More impressions here]
June 2020
Rebuilding Europe after Corona: What can France and Germany do? While European member states’ initial responses to the global pandemic demonstrated a lack of exchange and solidarity, the Franco-German proposal for the economic recovery in Europe after the crisis marked a change of course. The exchange between politicians and academics on 26 June 2020 illustrated the importance of building bridges between research and decision-makers by showing which lessons and best practices can already be drawn from this crisis. [More impressions here]
Franco-German Security Forum
February 2021
Thinking European Security Together. Our Franco-German Security Forum brought together experts to discuss the most pressing security and defence issues facing Europe today. In the first panel “What is the next step for European sovereignty?” participants highlighted the importance of joint responses to security questions, emphasising that a common approach is possible. In the second panel “Should the EU readjust its strategic compass?” participants stressed that the Strategic Compass is only a starting point for European defence, and that both more depth and breadth are likely to develop overtime. [More impressions here]
