President gives an address at the “Brexit, Ireland and the Future of Europe” conference

Thu 25th Jan, 2018 | 09:30
location: Helix Theatre, Dublin City University
President gives an address at the “Brexit, Ireland and the Future of Europe” conference

On Thursday 25 January President Higgins gave the keynote address at the conference on “Brexit, Ireland and the Future of Europe.”


In his speech, the President welcomed the increase in public debate about the EU and the future of European cooperation, highlighting that the Union cannot be reconstructed from above, but must be renewed by focusing on the EU’s relevance for its citizens and the challenges they face. 

The President said that the challenges which will test the European Union – climate change, global migration, the future of work – can only be met by restoring social cohesion and by strengthening those institutions that unite and protect solidarity in society.


Since his inauguration, the President has spoken on numerous occasions about the importance of renewing the EU, most notably in these speeches: