Events

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Two years after the Draghi Report, we brought together leading voices to reflect on Europe’s path forward. The panel featured Enrico Giovannini, former Italian Minister of Infrastructure and Sustainable Mobility and former Chief Statistician of the OECD; Claudio De Vincenti, economist and former Minister for the South and Territorial Cohesion; Livio Romano, Head of Industrial Projects and International Initiatives at Cassa Depositi e Prestiti; and Cosimo Pacciani, economist and Chief Risk Officer at the European Stability Mechanism. The event was moderated by Professor Manfredi Valeriani.

The discussion examined how to measure structural change and identify the right indicators for Europe’s transformation, whether competitiveness and sustainability can be reconciled in a global context marked by less regulated markets, and which institutional reforms are necessary to strengthen integration and economic resilience. Speakers also addressed the risks facing Europe in an increasingly fragmented international order, the strategy required to bridge gaps identified in the Draghi Report, the role of international cooperation, and the long-term demographic challenge. The event concluded with a critical reflection on potential blind spots and shortcomings in the Report.

On the 8th  February, VOYCE Community hosted an online discussion on “Military Conscription in the EU as Answer to New Age Insecurity?” by Damir Hasanović, examining the gap between Europe’s strategic ambitions and its defence capacity amid the war in Ukraine, geopolitical fragmentation and transatlantic uncertainty. The debate explored the strategic rationale for reintroducing conscription, alongside its political, social and normative implications across member states. Participants brought diverse national perspectives, assessing feasibility and potential consequences at both European and domestic levels, resulting in a nuanced exchange that connected defence policy analysis with the political and societal constraints shaping security choices in a diverse Europe.

VOYCE participated in the Institute for European Policymaking (IEP) webinar “Are Mainstream Parties the Main Cause of the Rise of Populist and Far-Right Parties?”, featuring Catherine E. de Vries, Laurenz Guenther and Daniel Gros, and moderated by Stefano Feltri. VOYCE representatives Maria Beatriz de Abreu Afonso and Carlotta Ferracina presented “Between Democracy and Far-right Movements,” arguing that the EU faces not only economic challenges but a deeper crisis of values and identity. They identified economic instability, migration, climate pressures and a growing representation gap as key drivers of populist dynamics, emphasising the importance of strengthening European identity to safeguard democratic resilience.

On 20th October 2025 our Commissioner for Economic Affairs, Naveen Sivakumar, was invited by IEP@BU - Institute for European Policymaking at Bocconi University at Bocconi University to present his policy proposals at the high-level event “The EU’s Anti-Poverty Strategy: An Evaluation and Next Steps”, jointly organised by the European Commission.

The event brought together an exceptional lineup of speakers and thought leaders, including:
- Muhammad Yunus, Prime Minister of Bangladesh and Nobel Laureate
- Mario Monti, former Prime Minister of Italy
- Mario Nava -General, DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, European Commission
- Francesco Billari, Rector, Bocconi University
- Roxana Minzatu, Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness, European Commission
- Anna Diamantopoulou, former Commissioner for Social Rights & Employment, Chair of the High-Level Group on the Future of Social Protection
- Sylvie Goulard, Vice President, IEP@BU, MEP (2009-2017), former French Minister of Defence, former Deputy Governor, Banque de Francece
- Katarina Ivanković Knežević Director for Social Rights and Inclusion, DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, European Commission
- Daniel Gros, Director, IEP@BU
- Martin Merlin, Director, Bank, Insurance and Financial Crime, DG for Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union, European Commission
- Michela Carlana, LEAP-Laboratory for Effective Anti-poverty Policies, Bocconi University
- Guido Alfani, Director, DONDENA Centre for Research on Social Dynamics and Public Policy, Bocconi University
- oriana bandiera, Sir Anthony Atkinson Professor of Economics at the London School of Economics
- Gloria Riva, L’Espresso

Naveen began by outlining how poverty remains deeply entrenched across generations, drawing on national-level studies of intergenerational income mobility. Naveen then examined the limitations of key EU initiatives addressing childcare, youth unemployment, and minimum income schemes, emphasizing that poverty must be confronted collectively rather than through fragmented national efforts.

He concluded by presenting an innovative proposal for integrated hubs that combine active labour market policies with childcare programmes. Drawing on evidence from the US, UK, and ESF+ pilot projects in Italy and Spain, he demonstrated how such initiatives can jointly enhance children’s educational outcomes and parents’ employment prospects.