On 25 October 2018, TEPSA and Elcano Royal Institute organised a discussion on “The Future of Europe – views from the capitals” in the framework of the Europe for Citizens Programme of the European Union. The discussion, hosted at Elcano Royal Institute, was held around the TEPSA book “The Future of Europe – views from the capitals”, edited by Michael Kaeding (TEPSA Chairman and Professor at the University of Duisburg-Essen), Johannes Pollak (Rector at Webster University Vienna) and Paul Schmidt (Secretary General of the Austrian Society for European Politics).

The book aims to modestly contribute to the discussions about Europe in as many European capitals as possible. Authors from all EU member states as well as Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey assess how their country could get more involved in the European debate. They take the reader on a journey through various political landscapes and different views of Europe.

At the event, Paul Schmidt, one of the editors, presented the main conclusions of the book. Ignacio Molina (Senior Analyst at the Elcano Royal Institute and author of the chapter about Spain) discussed the potential and conditions for Spain’s greater European influence and ambition, especially in fields such as economic governance, migration, security and external action. The following discussion addressed the complex relationship between the national capitals and Brussels and the general debate about the Future of Europe.