Participants of different ages gathered in Ludwigsburg on 5 and 6 December for “NextGen Europe – Workshop on the future direction of the EU”, an initiative promoted and coordinated by German MEP Engin Eroglu, member of Freie Wähler and executive vice-president of the European Democratic Party, and moderated by Aleko Vangelis. The meeting, conceived as an open democratic space, allowed citizens with different experiences to discuss the main challenges facing the Union, confirming the EDP’s commitment to promoting dialogue, inclusion and informed participation.
The opening evening created an atmosphere of direct and constructive discussion. After an informal welcome, Eroglu gave a short but incisive speech on the state of the Union, the risks threatening European cohesion and the need to revive citizen engagement. His remarks, marked by a pragmatic Europeanism and consistent with the EDP’s centrist and liberal vision, guided the subsequent discussions, transforming even the shared dinner into a spontaneous dialogue rich in new perspectives.
Saturday was dedicated to co-creation. The initial presentations highlighted the variety of personal and professional backgrounds of the participants, an asset that enriched the work on the four central themes of the European debate: EU-China relations, migration, security and defence, and the future of the European economy. Eroglu, as representative of Freie Wähler and the EDP, introduced each topic by emphasising its strategic importance for the Union and for the action of the European democratic family, encouraging those present to develop ideas with a critical but solution-oriented spirit. The method based on concept maps and open discussions fostered collaborative development, combining rights, development and responsibility.
In the afternoon, a second discussion session allowed the groups to exchange proposals, discuss them and improve them, transforming the workshop into a true democratic laboratory. In his closing speech, Eroglu linked the ideas that emerged to the ongoing debates in the European Parliament and paid particular attention to EU-China relations, highlighting the need for a balance between strategic autonomy, the protection of human rights and economic coherence. His conclusions reinforced the significance of the process, showing how active and informed participation can contribute to a more solid, inclusive and competitive Europe.
The workshop ended with a group photo and many farewells, but its most lasting value will be the network of people who are more aware and motivated to follow and influence European democratic processes. NextGen Europe has demonstrated how, thanks to the commitment of the European Democratic Party and attentive representatives such as Engin Eroglu of Freie Wähler, participatory democracy can find new spaces and fuel broader European reflection. The EDP will continue to harness this energy, bringing the issues that have emerged to institutional forums and transforming them into a concrete contribution to the future of the Union.
