22nd Salzburg Europe Summit
Europe: A global player?
PROGRAM
The 22nd Salzburg Europe Summit, taking place from September 27th to 29th, 2026, will bring together international experts to discuss current European issues.
22nd Salzburg Europe Summit, September 27th - 29th, 2026
The program is updated regularly.
Sonntag, 27. September 2026
11.00 >>> Eröffnung der Kunstausstellung
12.00 >>> Generalversammlung
13.00 >>> 40 Jahre EU-Mitgliedschaft: Spanien
14.30 >>> IRE Forum
16.30 >>> Kolloquium
Montag, 28. September 2026
09.00 >>> Eröffnung
09.30 >>> Dialog I
12.00 >>> Dialog II
15.00 >>> Dialog III
17.00 >>> Workshop
20.00 >>> Abendveranstaltung
Dienstag, 29. September 2026
09.30 >>> Dialog IV
11.30 >>> Dialog V
ART EXHIBITION
art exhibition European regional culture
Guest 2026: Umag, Istria, Croatia
Sunday, September 27, 2026
11:00 AM
Salzburg Congress,
Mozart Hall, Ground Floor
Art exhibition featuring artists from a European region.
The Institute of the Regions of Europe (IRE) is presenting regional European art and culture, the connection between history and modernity, and the regional cultural diversity of Europe as part of the "Salzburg Europe Summit." Zoran Šijakovic, IRE Special Advisor for Regional Culture, curated the exhibition. It was opened in the presence of political and diplomatic representatives.
GREETING
Franz Schausberger
Chairman of the Institute of the Regions of Europe (IRE)
OPENING SPEECH
Stefan Schnöll
Deputy Governor of Salzburg, responsible for cultural affairs
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Edita Imamovic
Artist from Umag, Croatia
INSTITUTE OF THE REGIONS OF EUROPE (IRE)
General Assembly 2026
Sunday, September 27, 2026
12:00
Salzburg Congress
Herbert von Karajan Hall, 1st floor
Members of the Institute of the Regions of Europe (IRE) are entitled to vote at the General Assembly.
Guests are very welcome.
GENERAL MEETING
Stefan Eder
Lawyer and chairman of the IRE support association
Helmut Falschlehner
Member of the IRE Board
Joachim Fritz
Secretary General of the IRE
Aisa Henseke
Member of the Board
Franz Schausberger
Chairman of the IRE
Josef Schöchl
Member of the IRE Board
TALK
Maria Aurora Mejia Errasquín
Ambassador of Spain to Austria
SOLEMNITY
Spain: 40 years of EU membership
Sunday, September 27, 2027
1 p.m.
Salzburg Congress
1st floor
To mark 40 years of Spain's membership in the EU, the Embassy of Spain, the Embassy of Portugal and the Representation of the Regional Government of Catalonia present delicacies from Spain, Portugal and the Autonomous Community of Catalonia.
GREETINGS
Maria Aurora Mejia Errasquín
Ambassador of Spain to Austria
Krystyna Schreiber
Delegates of the Government of Catalonia for Central Europe
IRE-FORUM
Is Europe dying out?
Demographic change as a challenge
Sunday, September 27, 2026
2:30 p.m.
Salzburg Congress
Herbert von Karajan Hall, 1st floor
LIVESTREAM
MODERATION
HEIDI HUBER
journalist
KEYNOTE
Martin Bujard
Research Director of the Federal Institute for Population Research, Germany
PANEL
Martin Fieder
Anthropologist at the University of Vienna
Raquel García GonzÁLEZ (tbc)
Director-General for EU Affairs, Autonomous Community of Asturias, Spain; Member of the European Committee of the Regions
Gudrun Kugler
Member of the National Council, Rapporteur of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Austria
Manuela Lenk
Director General of Statistics Austria
COLLOQUIUM
True values.
Economics and finance caught between responsibility and refusal
Sunday, September 27, 2026
4:30 p.m.
Salzburg Congress,
Herbert von Karajan Hall, 1st floor
LIVESTREAM
MODERATION
Claudia Reiterer
Journalist & presenter
KEYNOTE
Vinzenz Stimpfl-Abele
Procurator of the Order of St. George
DISCUSSION
David Dekorsi (tbc)
Managing Director Association of Catholic Entrepreneurs, Germany
CARMEN GOBY
Entrepreneur, Vice-President Federal Chamber of Commerce, Austria
NILS GOLDSCHMIDT (tbc)
Economist, President of the Global Ethic Institute, University of Tübingen, Germany
Martin Kocher
Governor of the Austrian National Bank
Martin Rhonheimer
Philosopher and ethicist, President of the Austrian Institute of Economics and Social Philosophy
In cooperation with:
Order of St. George
OPENING
Opening of the 22nd Salzburg Europe Summit
Monday, September 28, 2026
9:00 a.m.
Salzburg Congress,
Europa Hall, 2nd floor
LIVESTREAM
EUROPEAN ANTHEM
Music classes at the New Middle School Maxglan
Greeting
Franz Schausberger
Chairman of the Institute of the Regions of Europe (IRE)
OPENING
Bernhard Auinger
Mayor of the city of Salzburg
Karoline Edtstadler
Governor of Salzburg
DIALOGUE I
Is Europe (still) a global player?
Monday, September 28, 2026
9:30 a.m.
Salzburg Congress
Europa Hall, 2nd floor
LIVESTREAM
MODERATION
Christian Ultsch
Head of Foreign Policy and Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Die Presse
KEYNOTE
Christian Stocker (tbc)
Chancellor of the Republic of Austria
SPEECH
Jean-Claude Juncker (tbc)
Former President of the European Commission, former Prime Minister of Luxembourg
TALK - EUROPE: TO BECOME A GLOBAL PLAYER IN THE WORLD?
Marie Bjerde (tbc)
Minister for Europe, Denmark
Cristina Gherasimov
Deputy Prime Minister, Republic of Moldova
GUNTHER KRIECHBAUM (tbc)
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Germany
Oana Toiu (tbc)
Foreign Minister, Romania
TALK - WHEN IN DOUBT, EUROPE
Jens-Frederik Nielsen (tbc)
Prime Minister of Greenland
Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir (tbc)
Foreign Minister of Iceland
DISCUSSION - EUROPE: BETWEEN TRUMP AND CHINA?
Andreas Fulda
Expert on EU-China relations, University of Nottingham
Reinhard Heinisch
Expert for the USA, University of Salzburg
DIALOGUE II
Enlargement as a geopolitical success for Europe?
Monday, September 28, 2026
12:00
Salzburg Congress
Europa Hall, 2nd floor
LIVESTREAM
MODERATION
Michael Martens
Correspondent for Southeast Europe, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ)
MPULS & INTERVIEW
Claudia Bauer
Minister for Europe, Austria
Maida Gorčević (tbc)
Minister for the EU, Montenegro
DISCUSSION
KRISTOF BENDER
Deputy Chairman & Senior Analyst European Stability Initiative (ESI), Austria
Mathieu Bousquet
Director in the DG Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood (ENEST), European Commission
CHRISTOPH RATH
Member of the Board, responsible for Western Balkans, Vienna Insurance Group VIG
Nina Vujanović
EU enlargement expert, Affiliate Fellow Bruegel in Brussels, Montenegro
DIALOG III
Blackouts, sabotage & co. - how safe is Europe?
Monday, September 28, 2026
3 p.m.
Salzburg Congress
Europa Hall, 2nd floor
LIVESTREAM
MODERATION
Gundula Geiginger (tbc)
Journalist, Puls4
IMPULSE
Vitalii Zaichenko (tbc)
CEO of Ukrenergo, Ukraine
INTERVIEW - "Railways - critical infrastructure that connects Europe"
Representative of ÖBB (tbc)
CONVERSATION
MICHAEL BAMINGER
Chairman of the Board of Salzburg AG
Michael Strugl
CEO of VERBUND AG
DISCUSSION
Minna Ålander (tbc)
Security policy expert, Stockholm Centre for Eastern European Studies, Sweden
Charlie Edwards (tbc)
Author of "Hybrid War on Europe's Infrastructure", IISS London
Cornelius Granig
Management consultant, Austria
Verena Jackson
Expert for the protection of critical infrastructure, Center for Intelligence & Security Studies, University of the German Federal Armed Forces Munich
Dimitris Simos
Joint Professor Cybersecurity, University of Salzburg & FH Salzburg, Austria
INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP
TOPIC: TBC
In cooperation with the Multilateral Dialogue of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Vienna.
Monday, September 28, 2026
5:00 PM
Salzburg Congress
Europa Hall, 2nd floor
MODERATION
Michael Stellwag
Political Advisor, Multilateral Dialogue of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Vienna
SPEAKER
TBC
EVENING EVENT
Salzburg Evening
Monday, September 28, 2026
7:30 p.m.
Augustiner Bräu Kloster Mülln
Lindhofstraße 7, 5020 Salzburg
The "Bräustübl," Austria's largest beer hall, has been in operation since 1621 – for over 400 years. The beer is served from wooden barrels in stoneware mugs, accompanied by traditional dishes. In a convivial atmosphere, participants of the Salzburg Europe Summit have the opportunity for interesting, informal conversations and networking. The Bräustübl is a place of encounter, of tradition – a piece of living history in the heart of Salzburg's World Heritage Site.
Greeting
Helmut Falschlehner
Member of the Board of Directors of the Institute of the Regions of Europe (IRE)
MUSICAL FRAMEWORK
Ensemble DANICA
Director: Zoran Šijaković
DIALOGUE IV
Youth. Europe. Democracy.
How valuable are democracy and freedom?
Tuesday, September 29, 2026
9:30 a.m.
Salzburg Congress,
Herbert von Karajan Hall, 1st floor
LIVESTREAM
Greeting
Josef Schöchl
Member of the Salzburg State Parliament and member of the IRE board
MODERATION
Stephan Schweighofer
University of Salzburg
PULSE
TBC
PANEL
Maximilian Aigner
Member of the Salzburg state government, youngest state councillor in Austria
Shiva Shabanian (tbc)
Iranian-Austrian scientist and activist (IRANO), Iran/Austria
Veronika Tsepkalo (tbc)
Civil rights activist, recipient of the Sakharov Prize, Belarus (exile)
DIALOG V
Sustainable Development Goals der UN (SDG)
Tuesday, September 29, 2026
11:30 a.m.
Salzburg Congress,
Herbert von Karajan Hall, 1st floor
LIVESTREAM
MODERATION
Werner Sejka (tbc)
Journalist, Puls 4
PULSE
TBC
DISCUSSION
Jelena Tadić
Managing Director PPP Investment, Serbia
UNECE representative (tbc)
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, Switzerland
Representative of the City of Barcelona (tbc)
Spain