The European People’s Party (EPP) will hold its Congress on 7 and 8 November in Helsinki. Detailed information can be found at helsinki2018.epp.eu Co-hosted by Kokoomus leader Petteri ORPO, EPP President Joseph DAUL and EPP Secretary General Antonio LÓPEZ-ISTÚRIZ, the Congress in Helsinki will focus on preparations for the 2019 European elections and the election of the EPP’s lead candidate (Spitzenkandidat). More than 2,000 participants from 41 countries have been invited to participate in the Congress in Helsinki. The list of speakers on Wednesday 7 November includes, among others: Opening statement by Mayor of Helsinki Jan VAPAAVUORI followed by President of Finland’s KD Sari ESSAYAH; Party leaders Béla BUGÁR (Slovakia), Sybrand BUMA (The Netherlands), Ulf KRISTERSSON (Sweden), Helir-Valdor SEEDER (Estonia) and Horst SEEHOFER (Germany), and opposition leaders Pavel BĔLOBRÁDEK (Czech Republic), Silvio BERLUSCONI (Italy), Pablo CASADO (Spain), Adrian DELIA (Malta), Janez JANŠA (Slovenia), Gabrielius LANDSBERGIS (Lithuania), Kyriakos MITSOTAKIS (Greece), Rui RIO (Portugal), Grzegorz SCHETYNA (Poland), Marc SPAUTZ (Luxembourg) and Laurent WAUQUIEZ (France); At around 19:30 (EET) a debate between Alex STUBB and Manfred WEBER, who are running to become the EPP’s candidate for the Presidency of the European Commission, will be held and will be moderated by European Parliament First Vice President Mairead McGUINNESS. The policy debate “Prosperity for everyone – more growth and jobs” will feature President of Greece’s Nea Demokratia Kyriakos MITSOTAKIS, President of Portugal’s CDS-PP Assunção CRISTAS and President of Belgium’s cdH Benoît LUTGEN. The panellists of the policy debate “Europe’s Migration Challenge” will be Maltese MEP Roberta METSOLA, leader of the Netherlands’ CDA Sybrand BUMA, Finland’s Minister of the Interior Kai MYKKÄNEN and President of Spain’s Partido Popular Pablo CASADO. On Wednesday, the plenary will also feature the President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (PA), the Chairpersons of EPP Groups in the Committee of the Regions, OSCE PA, Council of Europe PA, NATO PA and Euronest as well as the Chairpersons of EPP Member Associations. At 20:15 (EET) an EPP Summit will take place. Among others, non-EU heads of state Petro POROSHENKO (Ukraine) and Aleksandar VUČIĆ (Serbia), party leader Nika MELIA (Georgia) and Vital RYMASHEUSKI (Belarus) and opposition leaders Lulzim BASHA (Albania), Hristijan MICKOSKI (The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) and Maia SANDU (Moldova) will attend. The list of speakers on Thursday 8 November includes: Statements by the leader of Finland’s Kokoomus Petteri ORPO; Speeches by Alex STUBB and Manfred WEBER; The Presidents of the European Commission, European Council and the European Parliament Jean-Claude JUNCKER, Donald TUSK and Antonio TAJANI; EU heads of state and government Nicos ANASTASIADES (Cyprus), Boyko BORISSOV (Bulgaria), Sebastian KURZ (Austria), Angela MERKEL (Germany), Viktor ORBÁN (Hungary), Andrej PLENKOVIĆ (Croatia) and Leo VARADKAR (Ireland); Deputy Prime Ministers Arvils AŠERADENS (Latvia) and Kris PEETERS (Belgium); The EU’s Chief Brexit negotiator Michel BARNIER. Congress Date: Wednesday 7 and Thursday 8 November 2018 Venue: Helsinki Messukeskus Congress Centre. Press Practicalities Information on press practicalities is available at https://epp.org/2OdHTDJ