EFA26 Programme

Discover the programme of EFA26. The programme and list of speakers will be updated continuously. We look forward to seeing you in Alpbach!

Can Europe still win on the decisive issues?

Europe faces fundamental questions: Is Europe currently on the road to victory? Can Europe still win on the decisive issues? EFA26 will explore these questions, with voices from politics, science, business and culture, with young thinkers and experienced decision-makers.

More about the annual theme

Speakers Selection

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Lea Ypi

Professor of Politics and Philosophy

The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)

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Yascha Mounk

Professor of Practice

Johns Hopkins University

Discover all speakers

Programme

All times in CEST
Starting times
Morning
Tyrolean Technology Brunch
90
An exclusive networking event as part of the Euregio Days 2026: take the opportunity to exchange ideas with representatives from business, academia, politics, and regional development on technology and digitalization in Tyrol and Europe.
Hotel Alphof , Hotel Alphof – Right Dining Hall
10:30 - 12:00 Tyrolean Technology Brunch
Network
Evening
Into the Silence
English 30
A place of calm: Spiritual impulses from various religious and philosophical backgrounds invite you to contemplate and reflect. Inspiring initiators tell their stories, take you on a journey of the mind and initiate moments of genuine stillness. 
Ort Alpbach , Church
19:00 - 19:30 Into the Silence
Rituals
Starting times
Early morning
Into the Silence
German 30
A place of calm: Spiritual impulses from various religious and philosophical backgrounds invite you to contemplate and reflect. Inspiring initiators tell their stories, take you on a journey of the mind, and initiate moments of genuine stillness.
Ort Alpbach , Church
08:30 - 09:00 Into the Silence
Rituals
Morning
Between Security and Rights: Minority Governance in the Baltic States and Ukraine
180
Security concerns since 2022 have reshaped how minority issues are governed in the Baltic States and Ukraine. The session brings together regional perspectives to examine these shifts and their policy effects. It identifies risks of securitisation and outlines approaches to balance security and minority rights. 
Congress Centrum Alpbach , CCA – Schrödinger-Saal
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09:00 - 12:00 Between Security and Rights: Minority Governance in the Baltic States and Ukraine
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Content
Starting times
Evening
Be(e) Together – An Invitation from ERSTE Foundation
210
A small celebration to share what matters: To round off the opening of the Conference Days we’re gathering at the 15-metre-long table in the heart of Alpbach – the Forum, the village and everyone who wants to discuss the changes we truly need. We’ll be sharing bread, butter, honey, ideas and much more. Prepared and presented by chefs, everyday heroes and all of us.
Ort Alpbach , Village Square
18:30 - 22:00 Be(e) Together – An Invitation from ERSTE Foundation
Network
Starting times
Afternoon
Capability & Renewal: Mobilising Europe's Power to Act
90
In a world of geopolitical realignment, Europe’s “power to act” depends on whether it can translate ambition into capability: deciding faster, building and sustaining effective coalitions under pressure, and delivering security at scale. This session brings together leading foreign policy voices to map the priorities of a European security architecture reconciling different threat perceptions and security traditions.
Congress Centrum Alpbach , CCA – Herz-Kremenak-Saal
17:00 - 18:30 Capability & Renewal: Mobilising Europe's Power to Act
Content
Evening
Into the Silence
English 30
A place of calm: Spiritual impulses from various religious and philosophical backgrounds invite you to contemplate and reflect. Inspiring initiators tell their stories, take you on a journey of the mind, and initiate moments of genuine stillness.
Ort Alpbach , Church
18:30 - 19:00 Into the Silence
Rituals
Starting times
Early morning
Into the Silence
German 30
A place of calm: Spiritual impulses from various religious and philosophical backgrounds invite you to contemplate and reflect. Inspiring initiators tell their stories, take you on a journey of the mind, and initiate moments of genuine stillness.
Ort Alpbach , Church
08:00 - 08:30 Into the Silence
Rituals
Morning
Hike | Guns, Green, Growth: Europes's Budget Trilemma
180
Europe faces a budget trilemma: funding security, decarbonisation and competitiveness without breaking trust between member states, sectors, and generations. This hike maps where tradeoffs are unavoidable and where the right priorities can create complementarities through sequencing and fair burden sharing. It distils practical principles for sustaining legitimacy while setting priorities for 2028 to 2034. //INFO: Wear sturdy shoes and bring drinking water. //INFO: In case of heavy rain, the session is going to take place at CCA-Flora-Hall.   
Congress Centrum Alpbach , Hike Start 1 | CCA Square
09:00 - 12:00 Hike | Guns, Green, Growth: Europes's Budget Trilemma
Content
How Europe Wins – Through the Power of Brands
60
Hotel Alphof , Hotel Alphof – Seminar Room
10:30 - 11:30 How Europe Wins – Through the Power of Brands
Network
Afternoon
Inequality, Discontent and a New Social Contract
English 60
Rising inequality and growing public discontent are putting pressure on democratic systems and social cohesion. Examine what a new social contract must incorporate to address economic insecurity, demographic challenges, restore trust in institutions, and ensure fair opportunities.
Congress Centrum Alpbach , CCA – Hayek-Saal
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15:30 - 16:30 Inequality, Discontent and a New Social Contract
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Content
Starting times
Morning
Hike | Will Artificial Intelligence Create Winners and Losers?
English 180
Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping careers and economic mobility, creating new opportunities while risking unequal access for Europe’s younger generation. This session looks at who benefits and who risks being left behind as AI transforms labor markets. It considers how institutions can ensure inclusive access to opportunity and prevent a new digital divide, ensuring an AI-driven economy that works for all generations.//INFO: Wear sturdy shoes and bring drinking water.//INFO: In case of heavy rain, the session is going to take place in the Primary School, (ground Groundfloor 1).
Congress Centrum Alpbach , Hike Start 2 | Bus Turning Area
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09:00 - 12:00 Hike | Will Artificial Intelligence Create Winners and Losers?
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Content
Evening
Into the Silence
English 30
A place of calm: Spiritual impulses from various religious and philosophical backgrounds invite you to contemplate and reflect. Inspiring initiators tell their stories, take you on a journey of the mind, and initiate moments of genuine stillness.
Ort Alpbach , Church
18:30 - 19:00 Into the Silence
Rituals
Starting times
Afternoon
Democratic Comeback: Countering Illiberalism and Restoring the Rule of Law
English 60
Across many countries, illiberal governments have weakened checks and balances, undermined judicial independence, and eroded public trust. Explore the prospects for reversing illiberal trends and restoring the rule of law in systems under strain that can fuel a broader democratic comeback.
Congress Centrum Alpbach , CCA – Heiss-Rogger-Saal
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14:00 - 15:00 Democratic Comeback: Countering Illiberalism and Restoring the Rule of Law
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Content
Envisioning the Europe We Build
English 90
The global order is being rewritten: By force, by markets, by technology, and by the sheer ambition of other civilisational projects. Europe's response cannot be to imitate any of them. Europe's strength lies elsewhere: in the deliberate, conscious choice to build a civilisational model on its own terms. Its future is based on self-efficacy - how does Europe foster its capacity to act from conviction, determined that its choices matter, and how does it cultivate the institutional and intellectual readiness to make them?
Congress Centrum Alpbach , CCA – Herz-Kremenak-Saal
17:00 - 18:30 Envisioning the Europe We Build
Content
Starting times
Early morning
Into the Silence
German 30
A place of calm: Spiritual impulses from various religious and philosophical backgrounds invite you to contemplate and reflect. Inspiring initiators tell their stories, take you on a journey of the mind, and initiate moments of genuine stillness.
Ort Alpbach , Church
08:00 - 08:30 Into the Silence
Rituals

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