One hundred young men and women, aged between 18 and 25, from other over 30 different countries in Europe and beyond were chosen from over a thousand candidates to attend the S&D Group's second annual School of Democracy from April 20 to 22 in Reggio Emilia. They will be joined by political figures including President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, the Italian Minister for Constitutional Affairs, Maria Elena Boschi, as well as internationally renowned academics such as Nadia Urbinati of Columbia University, Jan Zielonka of Oxford University and former EU Commissioner Laszlo Andor.
The President of the Emilia Romagna Region, Stefano Bonaccini, is welcoming the S&D Group to the region for the second year in a row. The initiative is organised by the S&D Group as a way of bringing young progressives together with leading politicians and thinkers.
S&D Group President Gianni Pittella, who developed the idea for the project, said:
"We are proud to return to Reggio Emilia for the second edition of the School of Democracy. The next three days are aimed at young Europeans and are dedicated to debate, training and discussing policy around the large challenges we face in Europe: immigration, terrorism, populism, austerity, and the relationship between democracy and economy.
"On these issues we need to encourage not just debate in Parliament but across Europe. The young people we have selected are the leaders of tomorrow and they will help us define our strategy in overcoming the ideas of the past. The School of Democracy will help us come together and help us rebuild a strong social democratic movement in Europe."
The School of Democracy is one of the biggest initiatives in political training in Europe.
The plenary sessions will be live streamed on the website and on the dedicated page.
