Laura Foraster introduced the talk by the Director of the Office of the European Commission in Barcelona

On Saturday 5 July, Europa en Blau held the fifth edition of this event, which is designed to foster reflection from a European perspective. This year's conference took place against the backdrop of an international context that remains extremely tense, owing to the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza (among others). Held at Calonge Castle on the Costa Brava, this year's edition focused on the European Union's geopolitical challenges, emergencies and alliances.

For the third year in a row, the conference was organised in collaboration with Catalonia International. Laura Foraster i Lloret, the Director-General of the Consortium, introduced the talk given by Manuel Szapiro, the European Commission's Representative in Barcelona, who made a hard-hitting assertion: "The European project is in danger. However, these challenges also unite us". Szapiro went on to affirm that spaces such as Europa en Blau are more necessary than ever. For her part, Foraster stated that "Europe is not immune to the changes occurring around it, and we need to adapt to the new situation and measure up to the leadership that is expected of us".

After Szapiro's address, the opening talk by political scientist Oriol Bartomeus presented a set of figures that gave context to a disturbing reality: since 1989, never has an age group become so closely aligned with the far right as that of men aged under 25 in the past year. Bartomeus warned that this trend is neither fleeting nor trivial: this age group is drawn to the far right because they cannot go anywhere else; they are young men who feel abandoned and have found refuge in extremism. He observed that young men are continuously consuming hate speech and far-right content on social media, while democratic politicians have failed to listen to and understand their fears. However, Bartomeus ended his talk on a hopeful note: young men are not doomed to vote for the far right; the challenge is to talk to them through the channels they listen to, i.e. social media, and offer them genuine alternatives.

The other subjects under discussion included the role of the United States in the international order, with Donald Trump once again taking centre stage. Anna Terrón, from InStrategies, remarked on the impact of Trumpism on global politics and how it has generated a brutal hardening of both approach and outcome. Víctor Horcasitas, the President of the American Society of Barcelona, called for a strategic shift and argued that Europe must put itself first, as although it has strength, it often cedes ground. For her part, Anna Navarro, a Member of the Catalan Parliament, called on the European Union to act more swiftly and with greater conviction. Brussels is too slow to act, she argued; we need to be stronger, faster and more united.

The final round table tackled the subjects of immigration and identity. Mirentxu Jordana, a lecturer in public international law at the University of Girona (UdG) and a visiting researcher at King's College London, criticised the failure of the EU's immigration policies and the contradictions of Member States that frequently create "crises" where none exist. Carles Campuzano, a former Member of the Spanish Parliament, affirmed that Catalonia needs immigration for demographic and labour-related reasons, and extolled shared values as the foundation for integration. For her part, the writer and activist Remei Sipi painted an enlightening picture of the difficulties experienced by female immigrants in particular, and called for a more humane and structural approach to reception policies.

The conference also incorporated the prize-giving ceremony for the inaugural Francesc Gambús Award for Europeanism, which was awarded to the Catalan Association of European Journalists (APEC). Marc Vidal, the Association's President, defended the vital role of critical journalism during times of uncertainty, and argued that it is necessary to report with rigour in order to strengthen democracy and the European project.

Lastly, the conference was brought to a close with contributions from Joaquim Millan, one of the organisers of the event; Jordi Soler, the Mayor of Calonge and Sant Antoni; and Jaume Duch, the Government of Catalonia's Minister for the European Union and Foreign Action. Duch remarked that the Europa en Blau event is a key date in the calendar for anyone who is concerned about the future of Europe, and added that such spaces are needed in order to reflect, criticise where necessary, and work together to build a shared strategic vision. For his part, Soler highlighted the importance of having an event that opens up a vital debate on questions that affect us deeply, such as immigration and the direction of the United States.

The conference can be viewed in its entirety on Europa en Blau's YouTube channel.