Lisbon, Sept. 10, 2026 (Lusa) - A source from the organisers said on Thursday that Yulia Navalnaya, a political activist and leader of the Russian opposition; Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi; and former Italian prime minister Enrico Letta would attend the 10th edition of the Estoril Conferences.
The initiative, co-organised by Nova SBE and NOVA Medical School, with the support of Cascais Municipal Council (this year's European Capital of Democracy 2026) and Turismo de Portugal, will take place on 29 and 30 October 2026 at Nova SBE's Carcavelos campus.
In a statement sent to the Lusa news agency, the organisation notes that the theme for the 2026 edition is «Reignite Democracy» and is based on the idea that democracy is sustained not only through elections or institutions, but also through participation, education, trust and the ability to disagree while preserving common ground.
The Estoril Conferences aim to turn debate into action, bringing together different generations, geographical backgrounds and fields of expertise; as such, this year's edition once again brings together political leaders, academics, activists, businesspeople, researchers and young leaders to reflect on the future of democracy and the opportunities that arise from today's challenges.
Politics, Global Peace, Education, Health & Preparedness, and Artificial Intelligence & Technology are the five main themes structuring this edition, interwoven with issues such as the credibility of institutions, peace, literacy and civic participation, equity in access to healthcare, disinformation, and the impact of artificial intelligence on democratic discourse and electoral integrity.
Confirmed keynote speakers include Yulia Navalnaya, widow of the late opposition figure Alexei Navalny and current leader of the Russian opposition, an economist and one of the most recognised figures in the struggle for democracy and against corruption in Russia. A graduate in International Economic Relations from Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, she worked with her husband to champion democratic change in the country.
Following Alexei Navalny's death in prison on 1 February 2024, she announced that she would continue her husband's work. She currently chairs the advisory board of the International Anti-Corruption Foundation and, in 2024, was elected president of the Human Rights Foundation, taking on a role that has established her as a kind of ‘first lady' of the Russian anti-corruption movement.
Shirin Ebadi, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, lawyer, writer and Iranian human rights activist, served as Iran's first judge and, after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, founded and co-founded several human rights organisations, including the Defenders of Human Rights Centre in Tehran. Ebadi has written several books, including *Iran Awakening* and *Until We Are Free*.
Meanwhile, Enrico Letta, former prime minister of Italy, also joins the line-up of confirmed speakers. A politician and academic whose career has been closely linked to European affairs, he also served as Minister for Industry and Trade and as a Member of the European Parliament before leading the Italian Government from April 2013 to February 2014.
Letta has been president of the Jacques Delors Institute since 2016 and, in 2024, took up the post of rector at the IE School of Politics, Economics and Global Affairs in Madrid. In 2024, he presented the report ‘Much More Than a Market' to the European Council, which focused on the future of the European Single Market.
The 10th edition of the Estoril Conferences will also be attended by Maria Luís Albuquerque, European Commissioner for Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets; Gonçalo Saraiva Matias, Minister of State and Minister for State Reform; Helena Canhão, Secretary of State for Science and Innovation; Miguel Stilwell d'Andrade, Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer of EDP; and Maria João Carioca, Co-Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Galp.
Among the more than 30 names already confirmed are also Annamaria Lusardi, an Italian researcher at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR) and director of the Financial Decision-Making Initiative in Italy; Emilio J. Castilla, a professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management; Mathew Prince, co-founder and CEO of CloudFlare; and Trudie Lang, a specialist in global health research and leader of The Global Health Network.
«The 2026 edition views democracy as an everyday endeavour, in a context characterised by evolving trust in institutions, diverse perspectives, international cooperation and technologies capable of transforming the way information is produced, distributed and validated,» stated the event organisers.
The organisation added that the programme goes beyond the stage, combining keynote speeches, plenary debates, first-person accounts, cross-sector and cross-generational meetings, workshops and working sessions.
JSD/ADB // ADB.
Lusa
