People are the power: Solving Europe’s demographic dilemma

, Berlin time (CEST, UTC+2)
Online
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Guests

  • Alberto Rizzi, Policy Fellow, ECFR
  • John Springford, Associate Fellow, Centre for European Reform

Chaired by

Agathe Demarais, Head of Geoeconomics Initiative and Senior Policy Fellow, ECFR

Europe’s shrinking and ageing population is not just a domestic issue – it is a strategic challenge with global implications. As population dynamics reshape the international balance of power, Europe risks losing geoeconomic leverage and political influence.

This public event marks the launch of a new ECFR policy brief “Markets, Migrants, Microchips: European Power in a World of Demographic Change”, authored by Alberto Rizzi. The brief explores how Europe’s demographic trajectory affects its global standing – and why decline does not have to spell geopolitical marginalisation. Instead, it outlines how European policymakers can act today to secure tomorrow’s influence: through smart migration policy, deeper partnerships with demographically rising countries, and better use of technology and the single market. 

Join us as we discuss:

  • Is Europe’s demographic decline inevitable – and does it necessarily lead to a loss of global influence?
  • What role can migration, enlargement and economic reforms play in countering demographic headwinds?
  • How can Europe forge strategic partnerships with countries in Africa, the Indo-Pacific and Latin America to turn demographic challenges into geopolitical opportunities?
  • How should the EU communicate the long-term necessity of demographic policies in short-term political cycles?