Washington, D.C., June 3, 2025
From June 1–4, 2025, thirty young political leaders from across the European Union and the United States gathered in Washington, D.C. for the Transatlantic Youth Forum (TYS) — a four-day forum focused on strengthening transatlantic relations through dialogue, policy discussions, and leadership development.
Organized by YEPP, the Summit convened rising leaders and policy experts to engage in timely conversations on critical topics including defense and security, climate and industrial transition, trade and economic resilience, the war in Ukraine, freedom of speech, and digital governance. The event also served as a platform for transatlantic networking, strategic collaboration, and policy innovation.
Over the course of the program, participants engaged with 23 high-level speakers and thought leaders across institutions and sectors. Key panels included:
- “Defence & Security: New Realities and Transatlantic Responsibilities” featuring Angel Smith (Microsoft), Heather Conley (German Marshall Fund), and Courtney Rickert McCaffrey (EY), moderated by Gordon Lubold(NBC News);
- “High-Level Clean Industrial Transition” led by Scott Tew (Trane Technologies), Elise Krekorian (Williams), and moderated by Tom Hassenboehler (CO2EFFICIENT);
- “Data-Driven Governance” with Theodor Stolojan, Wilfredo “Wifi” Fernández (X), and Stan Veuger (AEI);
- A Freedom of Speech workshop with keynote remarks by Nicole Bibbins Sedaca (George W. Bush Institute);
- A Trade & Economic Security panel at Akin with Meredith Broadbent, Sally Stewart Laing, and moderator Christopher Smith;
- And a closing keynote discussion featuring Amb. Julianne Smith and Amb. Joe Donnelly, moderated by Linda Feldmann (The Christian Science Monitor).
“Over the past few days in Washington, I had the honour of joining more than 36 young leaders from Europe and the United States, united by a shared commitment to strengthening transatlantic ties. Through open dialogue on security, climate, digital transformation, trade, and freedom of expression, we reaffirmed a common belief: the future of the EU-US alliance depends on more dialogue, more ambition, and more action.” — Lídia Pereira, MEP”
Participants also visited the Library of Congress, held institutional meetings, and joined social and cultural activities, including a reception at the Bertelsmann Foundation and a farewell dinner hosted by the Hanns Seidel Foundation.
The Youth of the EPP expresses deep gratitude to our generous sponsors, whose support made this transformative experience possible: AKIN, Microsoft, PAX Sapiens, Trane Technologies, Bertelsmann Foundation, EY, Hanns Seidel Foundation, Robert Schuman Foundation, and Philip Morris.
As transatlantic ties face new global challenges, the 2025 Transatlantic Youth Summit reaffirmed a shared commitment to partnership, democratic values, and future-focused leadership.
