Princess Beatrix arrived in Maastricht on Friday afternoon for the Princess Beatrix lecture. This lecture is held in honor of the thirtieth anniversary of the Maastricht Treaty.
This treaty established the European Union and laid the foundations for the introduction of the euro.
Involvement
The lecture is named after Princess Beatrix in honor of the former Queen’s involvement in the European integration process. “At the 1991 Euro Summit in Maastricht, she declared that she would sacrifice her head on the Dutch guilder for a common European currency. And in doing so, she contributed to the success of the Euro Summit”, says co-initiator Mathieu Segers, professor of European Integration at Maastricht University.
Former French Minister
The very first lecture will be delivered by Élisabeth Guigou, former French Minister of Foreign Affairs. At the time, she was closely involved in the negotiations that led to the Maastricht Treaty. In the lecture, Guigou discussed the legacy of the Maastricht Treaty and the steps needed to meet today’s challenges through European cooperation.
In conversation
After the lecture in the Sint Janskerk, Princess Beatrix will also talk to those involved who are committed to the European profile of Maastricht, Limburg and Maastricht University.
The lecture is organized by Studio Europa Maastricht, an expertise center for research and debate about Europe. They are organizing various meetings during the thirtieth anniversary of the Maastricht Treaty.