Liberal and democrat subnational leaders joined forces with local leaders from across Europe last week in Brussels.
Leaders protested the European Commission’s proposal for the 2028–2034 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) during the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) plenary session and EU Regions Week. They warn it risks disconnecting citizens from the European Union by side-lining regions from EU funding decisions.
The proposed EU budget reform removes the obligation for national governments to work alongside local and regional authorities when investing EU funds. Subnational leaders urge that this undermines the foundations of European democracy and cohesion policy. Several Renew Europe COR representatives joined forces with leaders from across Europe to protect this budget proposal.
The 2028-2034 MFF proposal, national governments no longer have to work with local councils and regions when spending EU funds in their communities. Alongside this, the European Commission no longer has to ensure that this kind of partnership has been carried out. This is a dangerous proposal for EU governance. Though a reasonable national government will continue to invest funds in cooperation with regions and municipalities, an extremist or unstable one may not.
This is the reason that Renew Europe COR is calling on the European Parliament and the Council to reject the EU budget proposal. At the Opening Session of EU Regions Week, the EU’s biggest event on cohesion policy, François Decoster, President of the Renew Europe Group and Mayor of Saint-Omer, declared: “No to the nationalisation of EU funds!”
The message echoed across the COR plenary session last week, with members adopting a strong resolution urging the EU institutions to revise the MFF proposal. The resolution defends the Partnership Principle and multilevel governance as cornerstones of European democracy, rejecting any attempt to renationalise cohesion policy. The Renew Europe COR Coordinator for cohesion policy and Dutch Mayor of Purmerend, Ellen van Selm, welcomed the unity behind the resolution, saying:
“The involvement of local and regional authorities in the new EU budget should not be a political issue at all. We are the ones who truly know local needs – what’s required to make Europe safer, greener and more competitive. This resolution gives us a mandate to defend that partnership both in Brussels and in our national capitals.”
Regional Minister of the Dutch Province of Overijssel, Erwin Hoogland, agreed that this should not even be a discussion as cohesion policy is a pillar of European democracy. The partnership principle should not only be protected but strengthened, ensuring that regions play a real role in designing national and regional plans. Hoogland called for the involvement of regions to be mandatory, not optional.
Renew Europe Vice-President Willy Borsus, emphasised the strategic importance of cohesion policy as an investment tool. French Deputy Mayor of Nice, Magali Altounian, warned that the Commission’s approach could erode trust in European democracy. Managing funds centrally damages public trust and weakens democracy. It’s important to respect the role and involvement of local and regional authorities, she said.
Local, regional and European leaders also gathered outside the European Parliament in Brussels to voice their opposition to the proposed EU budget. The demonstration showcased growing frustration not only at subnational level but also the wider political sphere, who agree it is undemocratic. CoR members, Young Elected Politicians and EU councillors stood alongside their peers from all 27 Member States, united in one clear demand: do not let cities and regions be silenced!
Renew Europe Group continues to push for an EU budget that empowers local and regional authorities and helps citizens feel more linked to the Union. Earlier this year, a letter from the Group President François Decoster was sent to all Renew Europe MEPs. This letter urged the EU to reject any move to centralise funding, to bring back a real partnership with cities and regions, and to keep cohesion policy as a tool for strategic investment, not just money transfers.
Renew Europe COR calls on MEPs to champion a local and regional approach to the green and digital transitions, keeping local authorities involved in designing and planning EU investments, and to ensure the “just transition” principle applies in all regions. As the CoR resolution states, Europe works best when it works with its regions, not over their heads.
