1st International Family Congress
Euskadi is going through a period of profound transformations. We live longer, and this greater longevity is a collective achievement that we can be proud of. At the same time, families today are more diverse, emancipation is postponed, parenting and care require new support, and childhood and adolescence face new and complex challenges.
In view of this reality, public policies must adapt to society and not the other way around. Talking about families is talking about bonds, care, coexistence, and also about the social, demographic, and economic future of Euskadi. And talking about childhood and adolescence is talking about the present: about the conditions we create today to ensure full, safe lives with opportunities.
Families are not only the foundation upon which our lives are built, but they also act as the engine that drives social cohesion. They are the first space where we learn values, respect, and solidarity, indispensable pillars for healthy and harmonious coexistence.
Families, in their diversity, teach us that there is no single model, but that each one brings unique richness and nuances. This plurality strengthens our common home and reminds us that inclusion and respect for different realities are essential to moving forward together. In addition, families generate well-being, not only emotionally but also socially, being the refuge and source of support in difficult times.
Ultimately, families shape the community, promote integration and the development of each person, and are the main source of well-being and stability. Families are a priority for the Basque Government, and proof of this is the approval of the V. Family Plan, which sets a clear roadmap for the coming years.
The I International Families Congress, organized by the Department of Welfare, Youth, and Demographic Challenge, will take place on May 6 and 7 at the Palacio Europa in Vitoria-Gasteiz. This event represents a unique opportunity to jointly reflect on the challenges, values, and strengths of families in our society.
From this space, we want to promote dialogue, the exchange of experiences, and collective learning, with internationally recognized speakers. I am confident that all of this will help us build a more just, supportive, and prosperous future.
Nerea Melgosa Vega
Counselor of Wellbeing, Youth, and Demographic Challenge of the Basque Government
Download programme:
Programme: May 6 and 7
Day 1 – May 6
08:30 – 09:15: Registration and document collection.
09:30 – 09:45: Official opening and institutional welcome.
09:45 – 10:00: Families, community and social cohesion: the framework of the 5th Plan.
- Nerea Melgosa. Councilor for Wellbeing, Youth and Demographic Challenges. Presentation of the 5th Plan, its pillars and principles: family diversity, rights, equity, community and participation.
10:00 – 11:30: Keynote: Wellbeing, Birth Rates and Public Policy: How Institutional Decisions Shape the Family of the Future.
- Arnstein Aassve. Professor at Bocconi University and an expert in demography and social sciences. He will share his vision of how families are changing in a context of social and demographic transformation.
11:30 – 12:00: Coffee Break.
12:00 – 13:00: Keynote: Equality, Work-Life Balance and Growth: The Role of the Family in the 21st Century Economy.
- Claudia Hupkau. PhD, Catholic University of Louvain (Belgium). How equality and co-responsibility drive economic efficiency and social justice. She will analyse the impact of family policies and parental leave on economic development and labour participation.
13:00 – 13:20: Kontzilia Community.
- Gorka Oraá. Director of Childhood, Adolescence and Families. Presentation of the Concilia Community as a space for learning and best practices on work-life balance.
- Mª Purificación Barrio Perea. HR Manager at Hutchinson-Intecsa.
13:20 – 14:00: Questions and open debate.
- A space for audience participation and dialogue with Arnstein Aassve, Claudia Hupkau and the Kontzilia Community. Xabier Madariaga will lead and facilitate the debate.
13:45 – 14:00: Artistic performance by the Aukeran Dance Group.
14:00 – 15:30: Lunch and networking.
15:30 – 17:00: Panel: Family and business, community and territory.
- Gaizka Zulaika. Director of AEFAME – the Basque Family Business Association. Presentation of AEFAME followed by a round table on the role of family businesses in social cohesion and territorial development.
- Félix Lascaray. CEO of Lascaray S.A. – LEA – Araba.
- José Miguel Lanzagorta. Chief Executive Officer at Lanca Corporation – Bizkaia.
- Carmen Echeverría Guibert. Vice President of ALGEPOSA – Gipuzkoa.
17:00 – 17:15: Txalaparta performance by Karlos Galan.
17:15 – 17:30: Closing of the day.
- Summary of key learnings and reminder of the connecting thread.
Day 2 – May 7
08:30 – 09:30: Registration and document collection.
09:30 – 09:45: Family wellbeing and contemporary challenges.
- Xabier Legarreta. Deputy Councilor for Youth and Demographic Challenges. Reflection on family health and emotional wellbeing: Zeuk Esan, internet family guides, Aukerak Suspertzen, familiaK…
09:45 – 11:00: Keynote: Emotional wellbeing and resilience in the family.
- Laura Rojas Marcos. Psychologist, Member of the American Psychological Association. The family as the first emotional school, key to the wellbeing and resilience of its members. She will analyse current challenges (digitalisation, stress, coexistence) and offer practical tools to strengthen bonds, communication and emotional management at home, from a perspective of family diversity and community.
11:00 – 11:45: Round table: Best practices and inspiring experiences.
- Leticia Garcés. Expert in early childhood, emotional and family education.
- Cristina Gutiérrez Lestón. Expert in emotional intelligence.
11:45 – 12:15: Coffee Break.
12:15 – 13:15: Keynote: Emotional management in families, family conflict and family wellbeing.
- Javier Urra. Psychologist, university lecturer and science communicator.
13:15 – 13:45: Questions and audience participation.
- Open participation space led by Xabier Madariaga, with the presence of Laura Rojas Marcos and Javier Urra.
13:45 – 14:00: Musical performance by Txistulari Iñaki Palacios.
14:00: Closing of the Congress.
- Nerea Melgosa. Councilor for Wellbeing, Youth and Demographic Challenges.
Speakers and moderators:
Arnstein Aassve
Professor at Bocconi University and an expert in demography and social sciences.
Claudia Hupkau
PhD, Catholic University of Louvain (Belgium).
Gaizka Zulaika Atorrasagasti
Director of AEFAME – the Basque Family Business Association.
Laura Rojas-Marcos
Psychologist · Member of the American Psychological Association.
Leticia Garcés Larrea
Expert in early childhood, emotional and family education.
Cristina Gutiérrez Lestón
Expert in emotional intelligence.
Javier Urra
Psychologist, university lecturer and science communicator.
Félix Lascaray Palacios
CEO of Lascaray S.A. – LEA.
José Miguel Lanzagorta Casans
Chief Executive Officer at Lanca Corporation.
Carmen Echeverría Guibert
Vice President of ALGEPOSA.
Nerea Melgosa
Councilor for Wellbeing, Youth and Demographic Challenges.
Xabier Legarreta
Vice Minister for Youth and Demographic Challenge of the Basque Government.
Gorka Oraá
Director of Children, Adolescents and Families of the Basque Government.
María Purificación Barrio
HR Manager at Hutchinson-Intecsa.
Xabier Madariaga
Journalist and TV presenter at EITB.
| You can register for the 1st International Family Congress via the following link: |
Venue:
The 1st International Congress on Families will take place at the Europa Conference Centre (Palacio de Congresos Europa) in Vitoria-Gasteiz. The Centre is a modern and emblematic space in the city, designed to host conferences and professional events in a comfortable and accessible environment. It stands out for its contemporary design and commitment to sustainability. The congress will be held in the María de Maeztu Auditorium, a spacious and well-equipped hall with excellent acoustics and technical facilities that ensure an optimal experience for both speakers and attendees.
How to get there:
Vitoria-Gasteiz has multiple transport options and good connections to reach the Europa Conference Centre.
On foot: Google Maps
Tram: Vitoria-Gasteiz tram timetables and routes Web
Bus: Urban bus tickets and timetables, TUVISA Web
Car: Parking in Vitoria-Gasteiz Web
What is this Congress?
The I International Family Congress is an initiative of the Basque Government, created to place families at the heart of political action and of the country-building project that Euskadi Berria represents. It is not an academic event or a theoretical exercise: it is a political and strategic instrument, fully aligned with the 5th Inter-institutional Plan for the Support of Families, Children and Adolescents 2025–2030.
A Congress that brings together knowledge, experience and dialogue to reinforce a clear idea: there can be no social wellbeing or sustainable future in the Basque Country without strong families, and without an intergenerational solidarity that ensures all generations — children, adults and older people — sustain one another within a cohesive community. To this end, through internationally recognised experts, this Congress seeks to gather forward-looking perspectives grounded in the analysis of the present.
Why we are holding this Congress?
We are holding this Congress because Euskadi is changing, and families are living that change first-hand. Deep demographic shifts, work-life balance challenges, growing economic pressure, an overburdened care system and an increasingly visible impact on the emotional wellbeing of parents, children and adolescents.
In this context, it is essential to speak clearly about middle-class families, because they are the ones who sustain the social, economic and fiscal model of the Basque Country, and who make intergenerational solidarity possible: they raise their children, care for older relatives and contribute to the upkeep of the welfare system.
When families weaken, social cohesion suffers, intergenerational balance breaks down and confidence in the future erodes. This Congress therefore responds to a clear political conviction of Euskadi Berria: caring for families means strengthening intergenerational solidarity and guaranteeing a just, stable country with genuine wellbeing.
What this Congress is for?
We are holding this Congress to strengthen and bring coherence to a clear political agenda in support of families, grounded in rights, equity and shared responsibility, and to connect reflection with concrete decisions that directly affect everyday life.
This Congress serves to:
- Organise and give meaning to the family policies we are already driving forward.
- Listen, compare and learn, drawing on evidence and experience.
- Improve public decision-making, with a medium- and long-term perspective that takes into account the balance between generations.
This translates into very concrete measures:
- The expansion of child benefit payments up to the age of four, as essential support during the early years of parenting and as an investment in our collective future.
- The promotion of a new work-life balance decree, which reinforces the right to provide care without penalty, encouraging genuine shared responsibility between women and men and across generations.
- Specific support for single-parent families, who face greater risks of precarity and overload and who are a clear priority in our policies.
- A firm commitment to emotional wellbeing, recognising that caring today also means accompanying, preventing and strengthening family bonds throughout the entire life cycle.
All of this is framed within the 5th Plan, which understands the family as an active agent of wellbeing, community and intergenerational solidarity, in line with the vision of Euskadi Berria.
Who this Congress is for?
This Congress is for the families of the Basque Country, in all their diversity. For families with children, for single-parent families, for working families, for those who provide care and sustain daily life and make the balance between generations possible.
It is a Congress designed especially for:
- Families who sustain the system and make social cohesion and intergenerational solidarity possible.
- Families who need better work-life balance, greater security and less pressure.
- Families who call for time, support and wellbeing, including in the emotional dimension.
It is also a Congress for those who design and implement public policies, for the third sector, for businesses and for society as a whole — because in Euskadi Berria, family wellbeing and intergenerational solidarity are not a private matter, but a shared responsibility.
Ultimately, this Congress expresses a way of building a country: a Euskadi Berria that places everyday life, care, emotional wellbeing and intergenerational solidarity at the centre of politics, that strengthens families to guarantee social cohesion, and that is committed to modern, stable and transformative family policies.
A Basque Country that knows that investing in families is investing in community, in balance between generations and in the future.
Soon for more information.