The growing political influence of nationalist and populist parties in our neighboring countries as well as in Germany is diametrically opposed to a culture of remembering the atrocities of past wars and the European peace project that has emerged from them. The multiple challenges and social change that will shape our politics in the coming decades are causing fear and uncertainty among many people. Against this backdrop, Europe Week 2025 provides a space to highlight constructive approaches to deal with these challenges:

How can we transform our fear and disappointment in a constructive manner rather than letting populists use them to manipulate us for their misanthropic power interests? How can we not only feel powerless in the face of challenges but capable of taking action for the benefit of all members of our society? What gives us confidence? What strengthens our hope? What gives us a sense of social cohesion and belonging - and how can we strengthen it? How can we remember how and why Europe came into being? What connections to the German and European culture of remembrance can we find today? How can we constructively shape social change and thereby carry the European peace project forward into a peaceful future?