Europe 2023. Seeds of Hope.

The word “unprecedented” is starting to feel over-used. But the past 12 months have been unprecedented in terms of the challenges Europe has encountered. In the face of this, where do we find hope for the future? What are the “seed events”, the harbingers of change, “les faits porteurs d’avenir” that we can identify and address, to ensure that we continue to work towards the success of the European project and the European dream?

To share about all this we invited in February Ms Roberta Metsola, within the framework of series of meetings with high-level politicians at our Chapel. It was not easy to get her after she became the President of the European Parliament, however the former Jesuit alumna did her best to find a free evening.

It was to be an informal conversation, without any reading of boring statements, to hear her take on what current events mean for Europe, now and in the future, and her hopes for the EU over the next 12 months and beyond. She spoke among others about Russia’s war in Ukraine and European Solidarity, European democracy facing populisms and disinformation, Qatargate and integrity in politics, gender equality in public live… but perhaps the part that was most enjoyed was when she shared in a very personal and humorous way how she combines her professional and family life as a mother of four kids.

The initial sharing moderated by Rev Sarah-Jane King (Pastor of the Anglican Church, works also at the European Commission) from the ecumenical team of the Chapel was followed by a Q&A with the audience and then informal talks over a traditional reception that followed the conference. All in all, an enlightening and encouraging evening.

The video from the evening will appear soon at the YouTube channel of the Chapel.