Le Parti démocrate européen a tenu un congrès le 13 octobre 2023, dans la ville historique de Mayence, en Allemagne. Non seulement des délégations d'Allemagne, d'Italie, de France, d'Espagne, d'Autriche, de Pologne, de République tchèque et de Bulgarie se sont réunies pour assister à cet événement important, mais celui-ci a également servi de terreau à des débats fondamentaux et à des propositions innovantes qui abordent les questions urgentes de notre époque.
Mayence, avec sa célèbre arène MEWA, a servi de toile de fond parfaite pour cet événement. Ce lieu s'est avéré être en parfaite adéquation avec les propos de Matteo Renzi, président d'Italia Viva : "L'Europe joue un rôle ou disparaît et devient un spectateur : au lieu de jouer sur la pelouse du stade, l'Europe ira probablement dans la tribune de football pour regarder le match entre la Chine et les États-Unis".
La réunion statutaire était au cœur du Congrès.
Cette session a traité de questions internes essentielles, telles que les préoccupations des membres, les questions financières, la nomination de la nouvelle présidence composée de François Bayrou (président), Sandro Gozi (secrétaire général) et Gérard Deprez (délégué général) de Belgique, tandis qu'Antoni Ortuzar du Pays basque et Ulrike Müller d'Allemagne ont été réélus en tant que deux vice-présidents exécutifs. Nicola Danti (Italie), Karl Erjavec (Slovénie), Marios Georgiadis (Grèce), Marian Harkin (Irlande) et Gerrit-Jan van Otterloo (Pays-Bas) ont été élus vice-présidents.
Dernièrement, le Manifeste a été discuté et approuvé par les délégués, qui ont soulevé des questions et amélioré la version finale du Manifeste avec plusieurs commentaires et idées.
Après la réunion statutaire, l'événement principal a été le débat des leaders, où François Bayrou, Sandro Gozi, Ulrike Muller et l'ancien Premier ministre italien Matteo Renzi sont montés sur scène pour partager leurs visions de l'avenir de l'Europe. La discussion a été passionnante, avec des sujets variés mais unis par l'engagement commun de favoriser une communauté européenne plus intégrée, plus prospère et plus durable. Cette plateforme a permis aux dirigeants d'échanger de nouvelles perspectives, des défis et des solutions potentielles qui pourraient guider le cours de l'évolution de l'Europe.
Conformément à la mission de l'EDP d'aborder les questions contemporaines cruciales, le congrès a également donné lieu à des discussions éclairantes lors du sommet des maires présidé par Sandro Gozi et François Decoster, président de Renew Europe au sein du Comité des régions.
Des maires de différentes villes ont fait part de leurs expériences uniques, de leurs réussites et de leurs projets d'avenir. Leur vision du leadership local s'est avérée inestimable et a rappelé l'esprit de résilience qui anime les communautés locales d'Europe.
Le congrès s'est achevé par deux tables rondes spécialisées portant respectivement sur la migration et l'intelligence artificielle. Joachim Streit, Giulia Pigoni et Matteo Flora étaient nos experts sur ces sujets et ont fourni au public des données et des idées significatives, également stimulées par une intense session de questions-réponses.
Le forum sur les migrations a cherché à promouvoir une politique migratoire plus humaine et plus efficace, tout en tenant compte de l'évolution de la dynamique mondiale. D'autre part, le débat sur l'intelligence artificielle visait à définir l'équilibre entre le progrès technologique et les considérations éthiques, comme l'a rappelé notre secrétaire général dans son discours : "L'intelligence artificielle est un outil pour l'humanité et ne doit pas être interdite. Elle doit plutôt être régulée par des efforts collectifs".
Enfin, le congrès de l'EDP à Mayence a été plus qu'une simple assemblée. Il s'agissait d'une déclaration retentissante d'engagement en faveur des principes démocratiques, des valeurs partagées et de la vision audacieuse qui lient les diverses nations d'Europe en une communauté commune. Ce rassemblement a marqué une nouvelle étape importante sur la voie d'un avenir bien équipé pour faire face aux défis et aux opportunités en constante évolution du 21e siècle.
Les actualités liées
The EDP in Belgrade for a European Serbia: legality, free media, fair elections
Mission of PDE Secretary General Sandro Gozi to Belgrade (18–19 September 2025): public debate with hundreds of young people, meetings with opposition parties and civil society, focus on the rule of law, political repression and delays in EU integrationGozi stresses that it is not citizens who endanger Serbia’s European path, but President Vučić and his government. By resorting to repression, false narratives and attacks on fundamental freedoms, they are undermining the credibility and the European future of the country.
Lettre ouverte
To the President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić
with a copy to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen
President Vučić,
Your letter of 21 August addressed to President von der Leyen is a masterpiece of hypocrisy. But facts, numbers and images tell another story.
In recent months, hundreds of people have been arrested in Serbia, including students and peaceful citizens. Many of them remain in prison today, facing charges that are essentially political. In practice, this undermines their freedom of expression and discourages democratic participation. It is not the citizens who are destabilising the country: it is your government, repressing the right to protest.
In March, during a commemoration in Novi Sad, a sonic cannon (LRAD) was used against demonstrators, A weapon, capable of provoking harsh pain, panic and permanent hearing damage. A practice that has nothing to do with the european standards you claim to embrace.
On 15 August, a video showed fifteen young people forced to their knees against a wall, filmed by police officers. An act of public humiliation, in total contempt for human dignity and contrary to every democratic standard.
And this was not an isolated case: in those same days, other footage and testimonies clearly showed worrying heavy-handed arrests, with students dragged to the ground, women and even minors treated without regard for their rights.
While students are beaten and arrested, citizens have witnessed violent groups apparently close to your party moving about undisturbed.
This selective tolerance raises serious concerns of rule of law.
Equally serious is the attack on freedom of information. N1, a news channel belonging to United Media (United Group), has been the target of a campaign of intimidation and pressure documented in recordings published by OCCRP/KRIK. You know perfectly well that silencing the last independent broadcaster means suffocating truth and pluralism.
President Vučić, it is not the youth, it is not the citizens, it is not the demonstrators who are jeopardising the European path of Serbia: Serbia belongs to Europe. But it is you — with your policies, your denyal your statements — which are undermining the credibility and the european path of your country.
Your accusations against Nikolina Sindjelić are embarrassing . The evidence shows that threats, unlawful arrests and violence have indeed taken place: personal attacks do not erase reality.
Your letter must therefore be sent back to the sender.
Serbian citizens deserve much better and Europe is something else: freedom, dignity, democracy.
L'heure européenne de la Serbie : perte de temps ou nouvelle opportunité ?
Public debate in Belgrade with Sandro Gozi and representatives of civil society Serbia’s European Hour – Lost time or a new opportunity?In his statement, Gozi denounces the hundreds of arrests of students and peaceful citizens, the use of a sonic cannon (LRAD) during the March protest in Novi Sad, the shocking video of students forced to their knees and filmed by police, the violent arrests of women and even minors, and the attack on press freedom with intimidation against N1, documented by OCCRP/KRIK.
Gozi stresses that it is not citizens who endanger Serbia’s European path, but President Vučić and his government. By resorting to repression, false narratives and attacks on fundamental freedoms, they are undermining the credibility and the European future of the country.
Lettre ouverte
To the President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić
with a copy to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen
President Vučić,
Your letter of 21 August addressed to President von der Leyen is a masterpiece of hypocrisy. But facts, numbers and images tell another story.
In recent months, hundreds of people have been arrested in Serbia, including students and peaceful citizens. Many of them remain in prison today, facing charges that are essentially political. In practice, this undermines their freedom of expression and discourages democratic participation. It is not the citizens who are destabilising the country: it is your government, repressing the right to protest.
In March, during a commemoration in Novi Sad, a sonic cannon (LRAD) was used against demonstrators, A weapon, capable of provoking harsh pain, panic and permanent hearing damage. A practice that has nothing to do with the european standards you claim to embrace.
On 15 August, a video showed fifteen young people forced to their knees against a wall, filmed by police officers. An act of public humiliation, in total contempt for human dignity and contrary to every democratic standard.
And this was not an isolated case: in those same days, other footage and testimonies clearly showed worrying heavy-handed arrests, with students dragged to the ground, women and even minors treated without regard for their rights.
While students are beaten and arrested, citizens have witnessed violent groups apparently close to your party moving about undisturbed.
This selective tolerance raises serious concerns of rule of law.
Equally serious is the attack on freedom of information. N1, a news channel belonging to United Media (United Group), has been the target of a campaign of intimidation and pressure documented in recordings published by OCCRP/KRIK. You know perfectly well that silencing the last independent broadcaster means suffocating truth and pluralism.
President Vučić, it is not the youth, it is not the citizens, it is not the demonstrators who are jeopardising the European path of Serbia: Serbia belongs to Europe. But it is you — with your policies, your denyal your statements — which are undermining the credibility and the european path of your country.
Your accusations against Nikolina Sindjelić are embarrassing . The evidence shows that threats, unlawful arrests and violence have indeed taken place: personal attacks do not erase reality.
Your letter must therefore be sent back to the sender.
Serbian citizens deserve much better and Europe is something else: freedom, dignity, democracy.
Séminaire du PDE à Paris : réformes, défis mondiaux et soutien à François Bayrou
EDP MEPs in Paris with Gozi, Bayrou and Barrot: priorities for Strasbourg, governance reform, the cost of living, ecological transition and Europe’s global roleThe initiative follows Vučić’s letter sent to Brussels on 21 August, in which he accused Serbian students and demonstrators of violence, reversing the truth and blaming the victims of repression.
In his statement, Gozi denounces the hundreds of arrests of students and peaceful citizens, the use of a sonic cannon (LRAD) during the March protest in Novi Sad, the shocking video of students forced to their knees and filmed by police, the violent arrests of women and even minors, and the attack on press freedom with intimidation against N1, documented by OCCRP/KRIK.
Gozi stresses that it is not citizens who endanger Serbia’s European path, but President Vučić and his government. By resorting to repression, false narratives and attacks on fundamental freedoms, they are undermining the credibility and the European future of the country.
Lettre ouverte
To the President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić
with a copy to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen
President Vučić,
Your letter of 21 August addressed to President von der Leyen is a masterpiece of hypocrisy. But facts, numbers and images tell another story.
In recent months, hundreds of people have been arrested in Serbia, including students and peaceful citizens. Many of them remain in prison today, facing charges that are essentially political. In practice, this undermines their freedom of expression and discourages democratic participation. It is not the citizens who are destabilising the country: it is your government, repressing the right to protest.
In March, during a commemoration in Novi Sad, a sonic cannon (LRAD) was used against demonstrators, A weapon, capable of provoking harsh pain, panic and permanent hearing damage. A practice that has nothing to do with the european standards you claim to embrace.
On 15 August, a video showed fifteen young people forced to their knees against a wall, filmed by police officers. An act of public humiliation, in total contempt for human dignity and contrary to every democratic standard.
And this was not an isolated case: in those same days, other footage and testimonies clearly showed worrying heavy-handed arrests, with students dragged to the ground, women and even minors treated without regard for their rights.
While students are beaten and arrested, citizens have witnessed violent groups apparently close to your party moving about undisturbed.
This selective tolerance raises serious concerns of rule of law.
Equally serious is the attack on freedom of information. N1, a news channel belonging to United Media (United Group), has been the target of a campaign of intimidation and pressure documented in recordings published by OCCRP/KRIK. You know perfectly well that silencing the last independent broadcaster means suffocating truth and pluralism.
President Vučić, it is not the youth, it is not the citizens, it is not the demonstrators who are jeopardising the European path of Serbia: Serbia belongs to Europe. But it is you — with your policies, your denyal your statements — which are undermining the credibility and the european path of your country.
Your accusations against Nikolina Sindjelić are embarrassing . The evidence shows that threats, unlawful arrests and violence have indeed taken place: personal attacks do not erase reality.
Your letter must therefore be sent back to the sender.
Serbian citizens deserve much better and Europe is something else: freedom, dignity, democracy.
Thème lié
