Under the theme “Reignite Democracy,” the 10th edition of the Estoril Conferences will take place on October 29 and 30 at the Nova SBE campus in Carcavelos.
The 2026 edition starts from the idea that democracy is sustained not only through elections or institutions, but also through participation, education, trust, and the ability to disagree without destroying the common ground we share. The Estoril Conferences aim to turn debate into action, bringing together different generations, geographies, and fields of knowledge.
Organized by Nova SBE and NOVA Medical School, with the support of the Municipality of Cascais (elected European Capital of Democracy 2026 this year) and Turismo de Portugal, the 10th edition once again brings together political leaders, academics, activists, business leaders, researchers, and young leaders to reflect on the future of democracy and the challenges it faces today.
Politics, Peace, Education, Health & Preparedness, and Artificial Intelligence & Technology are the five major conversations structuring this edition, exploring issues such as the credibility of institutions, peace, civic literacy and participation, equity in access to healthcare, disinformation, and the impact of artificial intelligence on democratic discourse and electoral integrity.
Among the 30 speakers already confirmed are Yulia Navalnaya, widow of Alexei Navalny, the current leader of the Russian opposition; Enrico Letta, former Prime Minister of Italy; Shirin Ebadi, Nobel Peace Prize laureate; Annamaria Lusardi, an Italian researcher at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research and Director of the Financial Decision-Making Initiative in Italy; Emilio J. Castilla, Professor at MIT Sloan School of Management; Matthew Prince, co-founder and CEO of Cloudflare; Trudie Lang, a global health research specialist and leader of The Global Health Network; Gonçalo Saraiva Matias, Deputy Minister and Minister for State Reform; and Andrew Jack, Global Education Editor at the Financial Times.
Other confirmed speakers include Maria Luís Albuquerque, European Commissioner; Jesús Armas, Venezuelan activist; Helfried Carl, Founder and CEO of the European Capital of Democracy; Jenny Romano, co-founder and CEO of The Newsroom; Olivier Vandecasteele, founder and director of Protect Humanitarians; Karla Soares-Weiser, CEO of Cochrane; Helena Canhão, Secretary of State for Science and Innovation; Miguel Stilwell d'Andrade, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of EDP; Francesco Billari, Rector of Bocconi University in Milan; and Maria João Carioca, co-CEO and CFO of Galp.
The 2026 edition presents democracy as an ongoing, everyday endeavor, in a context marked by declining trust in institutions, polarization, armed conflicts, and technologies capable of transforming the way information is produced, distributed, and validated. The program is designed to go beyond the stage, combining keynotes, plenary debates, first-person testimonies, cross-sector and intergenerational meetings, workshops, and working sessions focused on concrete commitments.
Registration for the 10th edition of the Estoril Conferences is now open and can be made here.