Foro La Toja - Eurostars Gran Hotel La Toja

An event that has achieved to become a benchmark on its very first edition

View 2021 edition

2021 Conclusions

IV Edition Foro La Toja 2022

From September 29th to October 1st

A unique meeting guided by the excellence of its speakers and guests.
A benchmark event for intellectual and academic discussion.
A space to encourage the exchange of ideas and experiences.

2022 Programme

Sept. 29^th September 29^th
Sept. 30^th September 30^th
Oct 1^st October 1^st

- Thursday, September 29^th
- 16.30 pm Opening Session Amancio López Seijas, President of Hotusa Group and Forum Sponsor
  Alfonso Rueda, President of the Regional Government of Galicia
- Award “Foro La Toja-Vínculo Atlántico”
- 18.30 pm Coffee break
- 19.00 h Conversation José Manuel Albares, Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation
  Chair:
  Josep Piqué, President of Foro la Toja Vínculo Atlántico
- Friday, September 30^th
- 9.15 am Panel: The autonomy and energy security of Europe Ignacio S. Galán, President of Iberdrola
  Antonio Llardén, President of Enagás
  Simone Tagliapietra, Bruegel
  Belén Gualda, President of SEPI
  Carmen Becerril, President of OMIE
- 10.30 am Conference Alberto Núñez Feijóo, President of Partido Popular
- 11.15 am Coffee break
- 11.45 am Panel: Iberoamérica in the new international order Jose Juan Ruíz, Elcano Royal Institute
  Andrés Allamand, Ibero-American General Secretary
  Mauricio Macri, Former President of Argentina
  Gabriela Ramos, Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences, UNESCO Chair:
  Trinidad Jiménez , Exminister of Spain
- 01.00 am Conversation Felipe González, Former president of the Government of Spain
  Mariano Rajoy, Former president of the Government of Spain Chair:
  Anabel Díez, Journalist
- 04.30 pm Panel: Cybersecurity Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, Former vice president of the Government of Spain.
  Carmen Artigas, Secretary of State for Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence
  Antonio Huertas, President of MAPFRE Chair:
  Carlos López Blanco, Senior Advisor at Flint Global and CEO of Iberdrola
- 17.30 h Panel: Fight against inflation Isabel Schnabel, Member of the Executive Board, European Central Bank
  Antón Costas, President CES
  Carlos da Costa Silva, Ex governor of Banco de Portugal
  Chair:
  Alejandra Kindelán, President of AEB
- 06.45 pm Coffee Break
- 07.00 h Panel: “The demographic challenge and territorial cohesion” Alfonso Rueda, President of the Regional Government of Galicia
  Juanma Moreno, President of the Regional Government of Andalucía.
  María Chivite, President of the Regional Government of Navarra.
  Ximo Puig, President of the Regional Government of Valencia Chair:
  Edelmira Barreira, Former Government Commissioner for the Demographic Challenge
- Saturday, October 1^st
- 09.30 am Panel: The future of globalisation
  Pablo Hernández de Cos, Governor of Banco de España
  Oscar Maceiras, Consejero Delegado Inditex
  Francisco Botas, Advisor Abanca Javier Sánchez Prieto, President of Iberia Chair:
  Rocío Martínez Sampere, Director Fundación Felipe González
- 10.30 am Panel: The renaissance of the Vinculo Atlántico Josep Borrell, Vicepresident European Union.
  Margarita Robles, Minister of Defense Spanish Government.
  Christine Lambrecht, Minister of Defense German Government. Chair:
  José Ignacio Torreblanca. ECFR
- 11.45 am Coffee break
- 12.15 pm Closing Josep Piqué, President Foro La Toja

Speakers

2022 edition

Josep Borrell

Vice-President of the European Commission
José Manuel Albares

Minister of Foreign Affairs
Mauricio Macri

Expresident of República Argentina
Andrés Allamand

Ibero-American General Secretary
Gabriela Ramos

Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences, UNESCO
Isabel Schnabel

Member of the Executive Board, European Central Bank
Pablo Hernández de Cos

Governor of Banco de España
Carlos da Costa Silva

Exgovernor of Bando de Portugal
Christine Lambrecht

German Minister of Defense
Margarita Robles

Spanish Minister of Defense
Carmen Artigas

Secretary of State for Digitization and Artificial Intelligence
Alberto Núñez Feijóo

President of Partido Popular
Felipe González

Expresident Spain
Mariano Rajoy

Expresident Spain
Antonio Huertas

President of MAPFRE
Ignacio S. Galán

Iberdrola President
Antonio Llardén

Chairman Enagás
Simone Tagliapetra

Senior fellow at Bruegel
Carmen Becerril

President OMIE
Alfonso Rueda

President of the Regional Goverment of Galicia
Juan Manuel Moreno

President of the Regional Government of Andalucía.
María Chivite

President of the Regional Goverment of Navarra
Antón Costas

President CES
Anabel Díez

Journalist
Miri Barreira

Senior Adviser Thinking Heads
Trinidad Jiménez

Exminister of Spain
Josep Piqué

President of Foro La Toja
Alejandra Kindelán

Chair and CEO of the Spanish Banking Association (AEB)
Rocío Martínez Sampere

Director Fundación Felipe González
Carlos López Blanco

Senior Adviser Flint Global & Presidente of Fundación ESYS
Soraya Saenz de Santamaría

CUATRECASAS Presidency assistant, Councilor of State and Former Vice President of the Government
Jose Juan Ruíz

Chairman of the Elcano Royal institute
Óscar García Maceiras

CEO Inditex
Mr. Ignacio Torreblanca

Director of the Office in Madrid and and Chief Investigator of the European Council on Foreing Relacions (ECFR)
Javier Sánchez Prieto

CEO Iberia
Francisco Botas Ratera

CEO Abanca

Central themes

Forum Boards

THE CRISIS IN UKRAINE AND THE REVIVAL OF THE ATLANTIC LINK

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a historic and defining moment in the future of international order. When the battle for world dominance seemed to have shifted to the Pacific region, Russia’s aggression on a sovereign nation in European territory has dragged us back to the worst moments in 20th-century European history and has forced all Western countries to redefine their strategic priorities. From defensive alliances to energy supplies; from cybersecurity to the future of financial and commercial transactions – countless aspects of our daily lives have been affected by the course of events in Ukraine.

The Russian invasion has marked a turning point in European security policy, as fundamental international rights have been blatantly violated through the occupation of a sovereign, independent state by a hostile force. The international reaction this aggression has triggered, especially on European soil, is proportionate to the gravity of the offence. The exemplary resistance by Ukrainian citizens has awoken the conscience of the people of Europe and – in contrast to what happened after the annexation of Crimea – the response has been resounding and ambitious. Germany’s shift of position with its decision to increase military expenditure has set a historic milestone, as has the decision by Switzerland to abandon its traditional neutrality to support the Ukrainian resistance.

It will be necessary to increase the defence budget, but there is also a need to design an industrial policy in line with the new strategic goals: telecommunications, the military industry, or the digital world are sectors that will require an increased input of Western research and cooperation. If the Internet was created as a tool for military use, research and development in the defence-related field will also have to generate new technological breakthroughs whose development and regulation should be shared on both sides of the Atlantic.

Just as the pandemic accelerated the digitalisation process in our society and stimulated innovative cooperation solutions at European level, the crisis in Ukraine has served to bring the debate on its energy independence to the forefront of European priorities. Europe seems to have accepted the pressing need to regain independence in terms of energy and the diversification of its energy sources.

The crisis in Ukraine has resulted in unprecedented economic sanctions that have not only seriously damaged the Russian economy, but will also have an impact on Western economies. Just as we were emerging from the aftermath of the pandemic, another international shock came to rattle the economic recovery process and add more uncertainty to current imbalances. Once again we need to recalibrate fiscal and monetary policies in light of the events taking place in Ukraine.

Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and the brutality with which it has been deployed poses an unavoidable challenge for liberal international order and for European security. To the challenges we were already facing – climate change, digitalisation, inequality – further new and more urgent ones have been added. Only through the strengthening of the Atlantic Link and the democratic principles on which it is based can we face with hope the period of uncertainty opening up before our eyes.

Why an Atlantic discussion forum?

The phenomenon of globalization and the appearance of new powers with a strong focus on being in the spotlight have transformed the classical geostrategic equilibriums. New areas of influence have burst with economic and political strengths which present a clear challenge to western countries and the values they have defended throughout history.

Western civilization is being challenged by new political and economic models. However, the Atlantic axis maintains its status as a reference space in the world order. Beyond conjunctural circumstances, the two shores of the Atlantic constitute a community with a homogeneous cultural model that has defined our societies on both sides of the ocean. A humanistic model that protects the human being conceived as a unique being and whose rights and freedoms must be protected and preserved.

Our history is Atlantic, as it is our reality and will necessarily be our future. Not only is this accurate from the geographical point of view, but also culturally and economically. Despite competition from other areas of the planet, the Atlantic space continues to be an area integrated by economically, politically and socially developed countries, in an overwhelming majority.

Foro Atlántico "La Toja" is created as a space for dialogue between both sides of the Atlantic, an invitation to look together at the challenges we share, the problems we have to face and the possibility of doing it together. This is a major opportunity to look to the future from our common roots and our shared interests.

A vocation of excellence and plurality

Unlike other events, Foro Atlántico “La Toja” is posed as a singular meeting which is guided only by the excellence of speakers and guests. The forum is not meant to be a crowded date, but a benchmark for intellectual and academic debate. The guests will have the opportunity to listen to experts talking about their respective fields and to chat with them in an atmosphere specially designed to promote that exchange of ideas and experiences.

The independence of the criterion, plurality and excellence are the approach that will define the organization of the forum, which has no economic or business interests. It is guaranteed a balanced representation of the countries that form the Atlantic area to ensure the different visions and contributions of both seashores and hemispheres.

In defense of liberal democracy

Liberal democracy is one of the elements that have defined the value system of our western civilization. Nowadays this model, based on the limitation of political power through institutions, in open deliberation and respect for minorities, seems to be suffering a profound crisis that appears in many different ways: the rise of excluding nationalisms, the delegitimization of the representative system, the accession to power of messianic and authoritarian leaders, the attacks on the separation of powers or the press freedom, etc.

Populisms of all kinds, conceived as a way of subverting democratic institutions from within democracy, represent a clear threat to our current model of society. Our political systems must reconnect with citizens to rebuild the bonds of trust on which to articulate the representative systems. It is necessary that open societies are able to give effective answers to problems such as inequality and social exclusion, insecurity or migratory flows that foster disaffection.

Beyond the purely academic or political debate, it is also important to pay attention to the influence that this phenomenon is exerting on other aspects of reality such as the economy, the rights of individuals or the geostrategic situation. The rise of protectionism, the manoeuvres of internal destabilization as a new form of confrontation between countries or the growing risk of massive disinformation are some of the symptoms and consequences of this new paradigm.

All these elements are a subject for discussion and reflection at Foro Atlántico “La Toja”, always based on an unequivocal commitment to the values of liberal democracy and its achievements throughout history.

The location

Galicia, a land with an atlantic spirit

Galicia is the most Atlantic of the Spanish regions, thanks to its location in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula and to its character, always related to the sea.

The history of Galicia offers multitude of references that connect with the organization of a project of this nature in its territory. Galicia constituted a forum of attraction and cultural mixing thanks to the pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela, a phenomenon that undoubtedly contributed to build the current European identity and, by extension, the occidental culture.

The proximity – even with the language – between Galicia and Portugal brings to the forum the Iberian character. The celebration of this kind of meeting outside the common locations as Madrid and Barcelona also contributes to offer a more plural and balanced image of the Spanish reality.

Gran Hotel de La Toja, an iconic establishment

With over 100 years of history, Eurostars Gran Hotel La Toja 5* is truly iconic.

Galicia is the most Atlantic of the Spanish regions, both due to its location in the far north-west of the Iberian Peninsula and due to its character, which has always been connected to the sea. The history of Galicia has many references that tie in with the organisation of a project of this nature in the region. Galicia represented an appealing cultural melting pot as a result of pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela. This undoubtedly contributed to shaping current European identity and, by extension, Western culture. The proximity -even linguistically- of Galicia to Portugal adds to the Iberian nature of the Forum. Holding a meeting of this kind outside the usual venues of Madrid or Barcelona also helps to convey a more diverse, balanced image of Spain.

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