Building the backbone of the AI economy; Snap Elections, the Democratic Return to the Vote of the European Citizens; Europe and Venezuela: testimonies, human rights and the protection of European citizens; Boosting competitiveness through evidence-based taxation policies; Press Conference: “Iron Leadership: Defending Free Societies in Europe, Fifty Years On”

Building the backbone of the AI economy

On Tuesday 13 October, ECR MEP Diego Solier and S&D MEP Brando Benifei along with members of the European Internet Forum (EIF) will host a lunch debate in the Parliament, focused on building the backbone of the AI economy: scaling Europe’s high-performance infrastructure. With the AI Act in force and the simplification package agreed in June 2026, the essentials of Europe’s regulatory architecture for AI are now largely settled. The focus is now shifting to implementation: building the computing, cloud, connectivity and industrial capacity Europe needs to deploy AI at scale and compete globally. This event will explore how Europe can move from setting rules to building the AI infrastructure needed to support competitiveness, innovation and deployment at scale.

When: Tuesday @ 13:00

Where: European Parliament Salons

Snap Elections, the Democratic Return to the Vote of the European Citizens

On Wednesday, the Romanian AUR Delegation of the ECR Group will host the international conference “Snap Elections: The Democratic Return to the Vote of the European Citizens”. During the debate, ECR MEPs Adrian Axinia, Georgiana Teodorescu and Gheorghe Piperea will bring together academics, policymakers, leading experts on constitutional laws in Member States, and journalists to debate along with other fellow Members of the European Parliament what happens when a political establishment becomes isolated by elitism, detached from everyday realities of its citizens, and stagnant in its vision. When is the regular electoral cycle no longer a sufficient safeguard? Political mandates are neither permanent nor unconditional. Once governance fails, the ultimate authority must instantly go back to the people. The vote remains the unique undeniable instrument of citizen sovereignty.

When: Wednesday @ 14:00 – 17:00

Where: SPAAK 1A2

Europe and Venezuela: testimonies, human rights and the protection of European citizens

On Wednesday, ECR MEP and Leader of the Italian ECR Delegation Carlo Fidanza will host a discussion on the situation in Venezuela, focusing on human rights, political imprisonment and the protection of European citizens. Speakers will include former Italian political prisoner Amerigo De Grazia, former Portuguese political prisoner William Dávila, Rafael Badell, President of the Venezuelan Academy of Political and Social Sciences, Adriana Ranieri, whose father Walter and uncle Massimiliano are detained in Venezuela, and Maria Rosa De Grazia, representing the families of 16 Italian political prisoners.

When: Wednesday @ 11:30–13:00

Where: SPINELLI 6F386

Boosting competitiveness through evidence-based taxation policies

On Thursday, ECR MEP Tobiasz Bocheński will host a roundtable discussion together with the Union of Entrepreneurs and Employers. The discussion will focus on boosting competitiveness through evidence-based taxation policies, while balancing policy ambitions with economic realities. While taxation can support the EU’s public policy objectives, it must also safeguard Europe’s long-term competitiveness. As legislators consider new and expanded Own Resources for the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), tax measures must be evidence-based and account for their impact on businesses and consumers. This policy discussion will bring together policymakers, industry representatives, and academics to examine how EU taxation can support the Single Market and European competitiveness.

When: Thursday @ 14:30-16.00

Where: SPINELLI 1H1

Press Conference: “Iron Leadership: Defending Free Societies in Europe, Fifty Years On”

The ECR Group invites journalists to the press conference “Iron Leadership: Defending Free Societies in Europe, Fifty Years On”, taking place at the European Parliament in Brussels on Tuesday, 13 October 2026 at 17:30.

Fifty years ago, the Soviet newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda called Margaret Thatcher the “Iron Lady”. The label was meant as an insult. Within a week she had adopted it herself and turned it into a symbol of firmness in the defence of freedom. Half a century later, Europe again faces a test of leadership. Fundamental freedoms and the values of free societies are under pressure from several directions at once. Leaders willing to defend them without compromise, even when it is unpopular, are once again in demand, in politics as well as in journalism, business and culture. The press conference will address this question and present the 2026 edition of the Margaret Thatcher Awards, organised by New Direction – the Foundation for European Conservatism. Among this year’s recipients is the Prime Minister of Belgium, Bart De Wever, recognised for his steady leadership through challenging times at home and abroad.

Speakers:

• Nicola Procaccini, Co-Chairman of the ECR Group

• Roberts Zīle, Vice-President of the European Parliament

• Stephen Jones, Research Fellow at New Direction

Date: Tuesday, 13 October 2026

Time: 17:30

Venue: Anna Politkovskaya press conference room, European Parliament, Brussels

Please confirm your attendance at michael.strauss@europarl.europa.eu.

Journalists without European Parliament accreditation are kindly asked to contact us by close of business on Monday so that access to the building can be arranged.

Journalists wishing to follow the press conference online can do so via the following Interactio link: https://ep.interactio.eu/link/pressconfp2359847123471