Practical information
Under the patronage of the President of French Republic. Conference on the occasion of Ifri's 40th anniversary. April 10th 2019, Grand Amphithéâtre de la Sorbonne.
At the geopolitical level, the coming decades will be dominated by China's ambition to become the world's foremost superpower, while the United States is sure to do everything in its power to maintain its current status. The future of the European Union, and the European continent more broadly, will be written in this context, with crucial consequences for the world at large.
Founded in 1979 by Thierry de Montbrial, IFRI is ranked (for the second consecutive year) as the 2nd most influential think tank in the world and number 1 in Europe, according to the 13th edition of the Global Go-To Think Tanks Index Report of the University of Pennsylvania.
Programme
Download the programme as a PDF file
|
09:00 - 09:30 |
Opening session with Bruno Le Maire, Minister of Economy and Finance |
|
09:30 – 09:45 |
The world of yesterday and tomorrow Thierry de Montbrial, Founder and Executive Chairman of Ifri |
|
09:45 - 10:45 |
To which hope can Europe respond in the world of tomorrow? Franziska Brantner, Member of the Bundestag Jean-Louis Bourlanges, Member of the National Assembly, Vice-Chairman of the European Affairs Committee Bernardino Leon, Director General of the Emirates Diplomatic Academy, former Special EU Representative for the Southern Mediterranean Region Igor Yurgens, President of the Institute of Contemporary Development (Moscow)
Moderator : Christine Ockrent, Journalist and Writer |
|
10:45 – 11:15 |
Europe and Africa Conversation between Louise Mushkiwabo, General Secretary of the International Organization of La Francophonie, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Rwanda, and Thierry de Montbrial, Founder and Executive Chairman of Ifri |
|
11:15 – 12:00 |
The future of Europe from the point of view of the United States and Asia John Allen, president of the Brookings Institution Kishore Mahbubani, Senior Advisor and Professor in the Practice of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore [debate in English].
Moderator: Sylvie Kauffmann, Editorial Director, Le Monde |
|
12:00 – 12:45 |
The major challenge of cyber threats Jean-Louis Gergorin, former Director of Policy Planning Staff (Centre d’Analyse et de Prévision, CAP) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, co-author of the book Cyber. The Permanent War. Editions du Cerf, November 2018 Thomas Gomart, Director of Ifri
Moderator: Marc Hecker, Director of Publications, Ifri |
|
12:45 – 13:45 |
Break |
|
13:45 – 14:45 |
The future of think-tanks Thomas Bagger, Director of Foreign Policy in the Office of the Federal President (Germany) Thomas Gomart, Director of Ifri Robin Niblett, Director of Chatham House Daniela Schwarzer, Director of DGAP (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Auswärtige Politik)
Moderator : Bassma Kodmani, Director of the Initiative Arab Reform |
|
14:45 – 15:30 |
The industrialists face of the new protectionisms Jean-Paul Agon, Chairman and CEO of L’Oréal Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman and CEO of Total
Modérateur : Thierry de Montbrial, Founder and Executive Chairman of Ifri |
|
15:30 – 17:00 |
New global challenges and European security Julian King, European Commissioner for the Security Union Jean-Marie Guéhenno, member of the high-level council on mediation of the UN (New York) and adviser of the Center for Humanitarian Dialogue (Geneva), former Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations Wolfgang Ischinger, President of the Munich Security Conference Nathalie Tocci, Special Advisor to the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Hubert Védrine, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, France
Moderator : Nicole Gnesotto, President of the IHEDN (Institute for Higher National Defence Studies) |
|
17:00 – 17:30 |
Conclusion Jean-Yves Le Drian, Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs |
Other events
France-Ukraine Forum 2026
More than four and a half years after the start of the full-scale war launched by Russia against Ukraine, the 2026 France-Ukraine Forum will bring together policymakers, experts, academics, and civil society representatives from both countries to discuss three main topics: the formats and conditions for a lasting diplomatic settlement; Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic integration, encompassing both the EU accession process and closer ties with NATO; and the societal transformations of postwar Ukraine, as well as its prospects for reconstruction.
The EU in a World of Economic Warfare: Trade, Geopolitics, and the Battle for Economic Sovereignty
The international trading system has become a primary theatre of geopolitical competition. Tariffs, sanctions, and technology controls have replaced dialogue as the default instruments of economic relations.
The Road to 27 Electrification Action Plans: Planning and Investing in Europe’s Electric Future
The European Commission’s Electrification Action Plan places the continent on an electric path to structurally reduce dependence on fossil fuel imports and boost the energy transition in industry, transport and buildings.