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Bilbao Congress 2025

On November 21, 2025, the European Democratic Party (EDP) will meet in Bilbao for its annual congress, at a crucial moment for democracy in Europe and around the world.

From Istanbul to Belgrade

From Istanbul, where Ekrem İmamoğlu was imprisoned for challenging Erdoğan, to Belgrade, where students are threatened by those in power, to the young digital creators in America and Europe who are fighting against extremism and authoritarian movements, movements defending freedom, rights, and pluralism are growing everywhere. In a word, they are defending democracy.

Defending freedom

The Congress will be dedicated to this dual movement: on the one hand, the new forms of participation and protest discussed in the first panel, and on the other, the need for a new global alliance between democracies, the theme of the second panel, with voices from three continents committed to defending freedom.

The challenges ahead of us

Two keynote speeches will guide the discussion: one by Paolo Benanti on the relationship between artificial intelligence, ethics, and human freedom, and one by Thierry Breton on the need for a more autonomous, sovereign, and courageous Europe capable of facing the industrial and technological challenges of the future.

All European countries

The Congress will be attended by delegations from almost all European countries, including four new parties of the EDP and delegations from three observer parties, reflecting the expansion and deepening roots of the European democratic project. During the public session, Sarah El Haïry and Sandro Gozi will present the EDP's new campaign for a European childhood policy, a concrete commitment to put children and young people at the heart of European democratic priorities.

High-profil political speeches

The proceedings will conclude with three high-profile political speeches: Aitor Esteban, president of the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV), Sandro Gozi, secretary general of EDP, and François Bayrou, president of EDP, who will sum up a day dedicated to the defense and relaunch of the European democratic project.

Speakers and guests of the public session

  • Imanol Pradales, President of the Basque Government
  • Manish Tewari, Indian member of parliament for the Congress Party, Former spokesperson and secretary general for foreign policy
  • François Bayrou, President of the European Democratic Party (EDP)
  • Ekrem İmamoğlu, Mayor of Istanbul, Currently detained for political reasons (video message)
  • Chris Mowrey, American activist and content creator, Close to the US Democratic Party
  • Esila Ayık, Turkish human rights activist, imprisoned and then released in the spring of 2025
  • Caolan Robertson, British-Ukrainian filmmaker and YouTuber, Known for his award-winning documentaries on the war in Ukraine
  • Nikolina Sinđelić, Serbian activist, Imprisoned by the Vučić regime during the protests of summer 2025
  • Pavel Cicvarić, Serbian activist, Threatened with death live on Serbian public television
  • Paolo Benanti, Priest and theologian, Former advisor to Pope Francis on ethics and artificial intelligence
  • Alan Friedman, Italian-American journalist and essayist, Analyst of growing authoritarianism in the US
  • Yosuke Suzuki, Japanese member of the Constitutional Democratic Party, Deputy-Director General of the CDPs International Department
  • Thierry Breton, French businessman and politician, Former European Commissioner
  • Sarah El Haïry, French Minister, Delegate for Children Youth, and Families
  • Aitor Esteban, President of the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV)
  • Sandro Gozi, Secretary General of the European Democratic Party (EDP)

 

Partners

  • Renew Europe
  • Renew Europe Committee of the Regions
  • EU Made Simple 
  • Institute of European Democrats 
  • Rainbow Platform
  • Young Democrats for Europe 

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