St Paul’s Debaters Crowned European Champions

Two St Paul’s Upper Eighth pupils have been crowned European champions after an outstanding performance at the 2026 European Schools Debating Championships in Skopje, North Macedonia.

Representing England at the tournament, Aru and Adrian competed against more than forty national teams and over 200 of Europe’s top school debaters. The pair enjoyed a superb run in the preliminary rounds, winning five of their six debates against teams from Romania, Estonia, Lithuania and Turkey. Their results saw them enter the knockout stages seeded second overall.

Adrian was also appointed captain of the England team for the competition.

In the quarter-finals and semi-finals, the pair secured unanimous victories over Serbia and England B, advancing to the final against defending champions Slovenia — the same team that had knocked them out of the tournament the previous year.

The final debate focused on the governance of Artificial General Intelligence, a topic both pupils knew well. After a close and wide-ranging discussion, the judging panel awarded Aru and Adrian a unanimous decision, crowning them European Schools Debating Champions.

The tournament also brought exceptional individual recognition. Among more than 200 speakers from across Europe, Aru was ranked the top speaker in the entire competition, while Adrian finished fourth overall.

The pair now turn their attention to the Oxford and Cambridge Schools tournament in the coming weeks, before representing England again at the World Schools Debating Championships in Kenya this July.

Their achievement marks a remarkable success for both pupils and continues St Paul’s strong tradition in international debating.