Hamburg-Vigoni Talks – #11 The Conference on the Future of Europewith Claus Christian Claussen and Prof Dr Markus Kotzur

9 December 2021

The second round of the Hamburg-Vigoni Talks actively seeks to foster dialogue between science and politics. Claus Christian Claussen, Minister for Justice, Europe, and Consumer Protection of the state of Schleswig-Holstein, and Prof. Dr. Markus Kotzur discussed the Conference on the Future of Europe in the eleventh Hamburg-Vigoni Talk. Claus Christian Claussen has been a member of the Schleswig-Holstein State Parliament for the CDU faction since 2017 and has been serving as the Minister for Justice, Europe, and Consumer Protection since 2020. Previously, he was the spokesperson for internal affairs within the faction. Markus Kotzur is a professor of European and international law at the University of Hamburg and also the president of the Europa-Kolleg Hamburg.

The focus of the conversation was on the objectives of the Conference on the Future of Europe, especially concerning the practical obstacles to its actual implementation. Claus Christian Claussen and Markus Kotzur also discussed the work of the Committee of the Federal Council for European Union Affairs and delved into the significance of scientific formats and publications for day-to-day political practice.

The "Hamburg-Vigoni Talks" is a discussion format within the Hamburg-Vigoni Forum. The series aims to relate the thematic focuses of the forum - space, sovereignty, and identity - to current political topics and further promote the desired connection between politics and research. The intention is not a theoretical discussion of complex topoi but rather an accessible discussion of their actual significance in political practice.

The conversations primarily take place among the scientists from the organizing institutions of the forum and are conducted in an interdisciplinary manner. To avoid a mono perspective view, the circle of speakers is not limited to the academic field but occasionally includes individuals with practical political backgrounds.