From across Europe and North America, policymakers, academics, journalists, religious leaders and advocates gathered in Brussels, Belgium, on May 13 to discuss strengthening families, reported the Church’s Europe Newsroom.
The European Family Policy Conference and European Family Values Award, hosted by the European Union and International Affairs Office of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, aimed to foster meaningful discussions on the importance of family.
The gathering marked the 30-year anniversary of “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” and was part of “Strengthening Families,” an initiative in partnership with Sutherland Institute, a Utah-based think tank.
“The Family Proclamation” states: “We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.”
Voices from the conference
The event began with a video message from Antonella Sberna, vice president of the European Parliament, who called for a “European Family Deal” and invited policymakers to place the family at the heart of Europe‘s future.
“The family is not a theoretical idea, nor should it ever be seen that way, but a real lived reality,” she said.
Jenet Erickson, family fellow at Wheatley Institute and an associate professor at BYU, emphasized the importance of the two-parent home, calling it “the dividing factor between classes.” She said research shows that children in these settings are the truly privileged ones.
Matteo Rizzolli, professor of economic policy at LUMSA University in Rome, Italy, argued that valuing families should go beyond financial incentives: “It’s not about making children cheaper, but families more valuable.”
Vincenzo Bassi, president of the Federation of Catholic Family Associations in Europe, said “the family introduced civilization to humankind” and that marriage was the first covenant that put the interests of another above their own.
Rick Larsen, president and CEO of Sutherland Institute, noted the foundational role of families. “We forget that it’s the family that contributes to a functioning society.”
Doug Wilks, executive editor of Deseret News, added a hopeful perspective: “There are great things ahead.” He explained that the opportunity lies in making the data and message relevant to journalists. He added, “If we make the facts meaningful to reporters, they will make them meaningful to the public.”
Lisa Perkins, member of the Danish Parliament, discussed European family policy systems: “We‘ve created a welfare state that’s become so complex it now competes with families.”
Marco La Marca, cabinet member of Dubravka Šuica who is the European commissioner for the Mediterranean, underlined the economic value of stay-at-home moms: “We need to review the way we look at GDP figures because they do not take their work into account.”
Maja Jesmanowicz, project manager of European Large Families Confederation in Spain, pointed out that fear and uncertainties play a big part in the decision-making process. “Young people still want to have children — they want it by heart, but not by head.”
Emma Howlett, a Brigham Young University student researcher, discussed the fear that many face when starting a family: “We value family life so much that we‘re afraid to enter it unless it’s perfect.”
Honoring family advocacy
Closing the conference, Francesco Di Lillo, director of the European Union and International Affairs Office, referenced “The Family Proclamation,” inviting “responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.”
He then introduced the European Family Values Award, established to honor individuals and institutions promoting the dignity of family life.
A social media post from The European Union and International Affairs Office of the Church noted that the award has the symbol of a stained glass tree that’s “a tribute to the enduring strength and beauty of the family.“
Referencing the statue, Di Lillo explained, “Families, like stained glass windows, are strengthened through heat and pressure.” He added, “When nurtured, they reflect something enduring, beautiful and vital to the future of our societies.”
The 2025 award was presented to Merete Riisager, former Danish Minister of Children and Education. A lifelong advocate for parental rights and educational freedom, Riisager’s efforts have shaped legislation and public dialogue across Europe.
In her acceptance speech, Riisager reflected on her grandparents’ legacy of building both a home and a business in postwar Denmark, instilling a family culture rooted in service, humility and joy.
“They taught us that life can offer you a pleasant or rough start, but what you make of it is your own responsibility,” she said. “We‘re not brought into this life to please the state or a boss at work. We‘re here to honor life itself and fulfill our role in it as best we can.”
Though she expressed surprise for the recognition, Riisager was grateful. “I never saw myself as someone fighting for the family, but looking back, I can see that’s exactly what I‘ve done.”
As the conference concluded, guests expressed appreciation for the opportunity to reflect on the shared responsibility of strengthening families. The event affirmed “The Family Proclamation’s” teaching that family is a “fundamental unit of society,” reported the Church’s Europe Newsroom.
