EFA25: Programme Available Now

From 16 to 29 August 2025, the European Forum Alpbach (EFA) will take place under the annual theme “Recharge Europe”. Marking its 80th anniversary, the long-standing forum is pursuing a clearly focused agenda - aiming not just to host debates but to provide concrete impetus for shaping Europe’s future. “Alpbach should not only be a place for dialogue, but a place for solutions. We are bringing top decision-makers to Alpbach, asking the right questions and jointly seeking tangible answers,” emphasised EFA President Othmar Karas at a press conference launching the programme.

In a joint discussion with Sabine Herlitschka and Christian Kern (both Vice-Presidents of the EFA), Karas addressed the key questions currently facing Europe, which will form a central part of this year’s EFA25:

• How can Europe’s sovereignty be safeguarded?

• How can we achieve a sustainable and competitive future?

• How can Europe’s future be financed in the long term?

Discussions will include the creation of a genuine European defence union, the expansion of the energy union, the promotion of green key technologies, and investment strategies within a completed capital markets union.

More than 4.000 participants are expected at the European Forum Alpbach 2025, including high-level guests such as Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen, Chancellor Christian Stocker, Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger, Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs, and Kosovo’s President Vjosa Osmani. Several EU Commissioners will be joining, including Magnus Brunner and Maria Luís Albuquerque.

Prominent voices from business, international politics, research and civil society are also expected - such as Peter Bosek (CEO of Erste Group), Michael O’Flaherty (Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights), Josef Aschbacher (Director General of the European Space Agency – ESA), Axel van Trotsenburg (Managing Director for Development Policy and Partnerships at the World Bank), climate economist Sigrid Stagl, Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz, and leading figures in the field of security such as Robert Brieger (Chair of the EU Military Committee), Peter R. Neumann (King’s College London), and Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (Chair of the European Parliament’s Defence Committee). Also among the guests will be extremism researcher Julia Ebner (Institute for Strategic Dialogue and University of Oxford) and Indian activist Sheela Patel (SPARC). The Co-Chairs of the EFA Strategic Advisory Council, Mairead McGuiness and Armin Laschet, will also be in attendance.

The EFA continues to underline its commitment to the next generation with strong participation from young people: over 500 international scholarship holders, selected from more than 7,000 applicants, will contribute fresh perspectives to the discussions. “Europe is under pressure—economically, geopolitically and technologically. Alpbach is a place where competitiveness and innovation can be debated and reimagined creatively, free from the constraints of day-to-day politics,” said EFA Vice-President Christian Kern.

The Forum’s 80th anniversary represents a time of renewal. Since 1945, the EFA has fostered open dialogue across borders. “Technological sovereignty, energy independence and cybersecurity are all fundamental to a strong Europe. Alpbach provides a platform for joint reflection and action on these issues,” said EFA Vice-President Sabine Herlitschka. EFA President Othmar Karas also highlighted the Forum’s responsibility for shaping the future: “Tradition is not an end in itself. Our history compels us to shape what lies ahead.”

The programme is divided into five modules: Euregio Days from 16 to 19 August, Seminar Days from 17 to 22 August, Lab Days from 21 to 23 August, Europe in the World Days from 23 to 26 August, and Austria in Europe Days from 26 to 29 August.

The full programme and further information can be found at: European Forum Alpbach | Programme 2025.

Media Contact:
Andreas Berger
Head of Communications
+43 1 7181711-25
presse@alpbach.org