Overview of topics addressed by each Head of State or Government

Some of the Heads of State or Government speaking in the Future of Europe debates explicitly stressed the overall consensus among EU leaders in favour of concrete action for citizens as opposed to Treaty revisions. Nevertheless, their views on specific institutional aspects were relatively divergent. Some supported transnational lists and the Spitzenkandidaten procedure, favouring its establishment as a permanent method, while democracy and the rule of law featured quite prominently in the speeches of others. Some leaders chose not to dwell on institutional reforms as, in their view, attention should lie more on listening to the citizens and regaining their trust. All of them agreed on the importance of greater involvement of citizens, with many of them referring to the citizens’ conventions.