On Thursday, May 7, 2026, the European Union Center at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign celebrated EU Day with a timely and thought-provoking roundtable discussion titled Transatlantic Relations in Today’s World. The event was held at the Levis Faculty Center and brought together distinguished diplomatic voices, esteemed faculty, engaged students, and members of the broader University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign community.
The program opened with remarks by Dr. Emanuel Rota, Director of the European Union Center, followed by a welcome address from Dean Venetria K. Patton of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, whose presence underscored the University's deep commitment to international engagement and global scholarship.
The roundtable featured the Consuls General of four European Union member states — Jakub Utěšený (Czech Republic), Charlotte Montel (France), Emmanuel Koubarakis (Greece), and Álvaro de Salas Giménez de Azcárate (Spain) — all based at their respective consulates in Chicago. Each consul general offered opening remarks reflecting on the current state of the transatlantic partnership through the lens of their own nation's unique historical and political relationship with the United States. The addresses were beautifully articulated, tracing a rich arc through history — from the Lumières (Enlightenment era) and the foundations of democracy in ancient Greece, to the ideals of freedom that have shaped Western political institutions from their origins to the present day. Each speaker demonstrated how these deep historical threads continue to echo through the diplomatic and political realities of today.
The formal panel was followed by an engaging open question-and-answer session with the audience, which brought the conversation to life with perspectives from students, faculty, and community members alike.