The Schuman Declaration
In 2025, we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration, an excellent opportunity to reflect on the principle of solidarity, which is central to this historic declaration.
The Foundations of the European Union
The Schuman Declaration laid the foundation for the establishment of the European Union and, in the aftermath of war and nationalism, emphasized the need for a united Europe as a guarantee for lasting peace. Schuman called for concrete actions of cooperation between nations as an expression of de facto solidarity, beginning with the joint management of coal and steel among former enemies.
Since then, solidarity in Europe has grown and evolved. Today, it reaches far beyond the economy, shaping social policy, regional development, climate action, and crisis response. Yet solidarity remains contested, challenged by political divisions, nationalism, and global pressures.
Seventy-five years after the Schuman Declaration, we stand at another crucial juncture where the European project must be defended and strengthened.
To mark the anniversary of the Schuman Declaration, UCSIA is organizing two public events on 5 May:
- Lecture and panel debate 'European Solidarity in Theory and Practice'
- Lecture 'Why is the EU European?'
European Solidarity in Theory and Practice
Lecture and panel debate
Together with the University of Antwerp, UCSIA is organizing a public lecture on ‘European Solidarity in Theory and Practice’ with an introductory speech by Prof Andrea Sangiovanni, Professor of Philosophy at King’s College London.
His speech will be followed by a panel discussion on concrete examples of European cooperation that shape de facto solidarity within the EU.
Dr Hanne Beirens, Visiting Professor at the College of Europe and former Director of Migration Policy Institute Europe, will talk about the EU migration pact, its historical value and key challenges.
Dr Francesco Corti, Member of the Cabinet of the Executive Vice-President for Social Rights, Skills, Quality Jobs, and Preparedness, European Commission, will shed light on the challenging field of European social policy with a focus on fair labour mobility.
Andrea Sangiovanni
Professor of Philosophy at King’s College London
His main areas of research are in contemporary moral, legal, and political philosophy. He has several publications on the topic of European solidarity and is currently working on an ERC-funded project (Consolidator Grant, 2018-2024) on solidarity in Europe. His latest book (published in 2024 at Manchester University Press) is called ‘Solidarity: Nature, Grounds, and Value’.
Dr. Hanne Beirens
Visiting Professor at the College of Europe
Hanne Beirens is a Visiting Professor at the College of Europe and former Director of Migration Policy Institute Europe. She specializes in EU policies on asylum and migration, human trafficking, labour migration, and youth.
Previously, Dr. Beirens worked as a Lead Managing Consultant for ICF Consulting, where she focused on impact assessments, feasibility studies, and evaluations for the European Commission, with a particular focus on EU asylum and migration policy, as well as developing products within the European Migration Network (EMN), including pan-European studies and the EMN annual report.
Francesco Corti
Member of the Cabinet of Roxana Mînzatu
the Executive Vice-President for Social Rights, Skills, Quality Jobs, and Preparedness at the European Commission
Prior to this role, he served as Advisor to the Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Social Affairs and Public Health, Frank Vandenbroucke. In this capacity, he was responsible for coordinating the Belgian Presidency of the EU in 2024.
He brings extensive expertise in the social dimension of the Economic and Monetary Union, labour mobility, the European Semester, and social investment. His areas of knowledge also include EU social funding, the European Pillar of Social Rights, and the European Unemployment Benefit Scheme.
The schedule
-
2:00 p.m.
Welcome by dr Erik De Bom, Deputy Director at UCSIA -
2:05 p.m.
Welcome by Prof Ive Marx, University of Antwerp -
2:10 p.m.
Keynote ‘European solidarity – Why Europe?’
by Prof Andrea Sangiovanni, King’s College London -
2:50 p.m.
Panel discussion 'Concrete forms of European solidarity – milestones and challenges' with
· Prof Andrea Sangiovanni, King’s College London
· Dr Francesco Corti, European Commission
· Dr Hanne Beirens, College of Europe
· Facilitator: Prof Ive Marx -
3:45 p.m.
Questions and remarks from the audience -
4:00 p.m.
Ending
