“As Europeans, we are at a turning point – we must re-seize the pragmatism that was so central to the founding spirit of the Union or be swept away by the tide of history. From individuals to nations to the European institutions, we must work together to tackle our joint challenges.”

Valéry Giscard d’Estaing

Re-Imagine Europa (RIE) is a nonpartisan think-tank, founded by President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing as the first “incubator” for new political ideas, in honour of the friendship and partnership with Chancellor Helmut Schmidt and their efforts to define a future that goes beyond personal, national or partisan interests.

By aiming to develop and promote a shared vision for Europe that pragmatically responds to fears and hopes of today, we aim to give the project of ‘Europa’ back to its citizens and work together with multiple stakeholders, such as civil society organisations, national governments, as well as the European Institutions, to create an understanding for the need of a stronger Europe adapted to the 21st century.

RIE acts as a convener, catalyst and communicator:

Convener

We closely work with members and partners, leading institutions and experts with various backgrounds, to deliver world-class interdisciplinary and intersectoral research, and facilitate the dialogue and the engagement with national and international political processes. Our strategy relies on teamwork and collective intelligence: we bring together a variety of stakeholders from different organisations to ensure that proposals reflect the best ideas and research from across sectors, disciplines, and countries.

Catalyst

We focus on a few key issues of strategic importance to Europe – as identified by the Advisory Board – to provoke new thinking and significant action. Our aim is to think systemically and long-term about these issues, to enable new thinking and innovative solutions. We do not focus on short-term legislative action but on changing the way we think about an issue.

Communicator

A key pillar of the work of Re-Imagine Europa is developing stories and images that can posit old problems in a new light, adapted to the 21st century, bringing different people’s views closer. Therefore, while working with leading stakeholders in developing innovative proposals, we aim to engage people in building shared visions that can have a positive impact on their future.

As an incubator of new political ideas, the activities of Re-Imagine Europa are goal-oriented and future-looking. Our methodology is inclusive and aims to foster creative thinking.