The #EU is being tested like never before. For liberals & democrats, the answer is clear: We must not only protect #Europe; we must shape it to be strong and independent. This May 9th, we call on subnational leaders to turn #EuropeDay into a powerful movement for unity, pride, and hope.

La conseillère départementale Anne Rudisuhli, membre du comité européen des régions, va présenter un rapport au sein de l'instance visant à mieux intégrer les perspectives locales et régionales au cœur de la mise en œuvre de la stratégie européenne de sécurité intérieure ⬇️ bit.ly/4oK1bls

Blagomir Kotsev is finally free. We welcome yesterday’s decision of the #Varna Court to release our colleague, Bulgarian Mayor Blagomir #Kotsev, on bail. Our Group stands firmly with Blagomir. We will always fight for democracy, the rule of law and against the politicisation of justice.

The Renew Europe Group in the European Committee of the Regions acknowledges the conclusions of #COP30. Specifically, the achievement for #LRAs: the #EU has officially endorsed the Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships (#CHAMP) for Climate Action. Our full statement: bit.ly/4ogJDNJ

📣 European Democratic Mayors speak up on the #EUbudget! At the @europeandemocrats.bsky.social Congress in Bilbao, we called for legal guarantees so local & regional authorities have a real say in managing #EUfunds in the next #MFF. Download the statement: bit.ly/48v73dn

Local/regional politician in the EU? Part of ALDE, EDP, or the wider Renew Europe family? Join the EU Councillors Network! ✅Invitations to CoR plenary sessions & political events ✅Visibility for your city/region at EU level 3,000+ politicians are already part of it. Apply anytime: bit.ly/43AKyRA

At the Liberal Mayors Summit, held during the @aldeparty.bsky.social Congress, liberal mayors from across Europe adopted a Declaration on the future of EU #Cohesion Policy — reaffirming the essential role of citizens and subnational authorities in shaping the next #MFF ⬇️ bit.ly/48J2kWd

Far too many employees in Belgian border region work elsewhere as businesses struggle to find staff, says Olivier de Wasseige, a member of the Parliament of #Wallonia ⬇️ bit.ly/4huzUkV

"Préoccupation pour centralisation. Régions doivent gérer fonds" - C'est ce qu'a déclaré François-Xavier Priollaud, vice-président de la région #Normandie, lors d'une interview à Bruxelles en marge de la session plénière du Comité européen des régions ⬇️ www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvcN...

“When democracy is attacked in one Member State, it is weakened throughout Europe” says the Mayor of Varna, Blagomir #Kotsev, who has been unjustly arrested in Bulgaria, in a letter read by a municipal councilor from #Varna, Sofia Koleva, during our Group Meeting this week: bit.ly/47bjLMN

"This is a great opportunity to meet politicians from different cities & municipalities of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region" says Andres Jaadla, who represented our Group at the Network of Local Politicians of the Western Balkans event ⬇️ #EUenlargement bit.ly/473iWql

"The Commission should more fully acknowledge the contribution of regional innovation ecosystems in bringing together partners & stakeholders and in combining available funds to foster startups and scaleups" says Jozef Viskupič, President of the autonomous region of Trnava, Slovakia. bit.ly/4mHJDW0

"In Europe, we are facing a changing reality and public trust in democratic institutions is being tested. In this context, there is no doubt that local and regional authorities play a central role." says Mayor of Lemvig (Denmark) Erik Flyvholm, who hosted the CoR Bureau recently. bit.ly/3Kr9Xqc

🎙️ The Letter from Brussels podcast is back — new format, new voices! Ep1: The Art of Deterrence → from Liepāja, Latvia, where local leaders are boosting Europe’s defence capabilities. Listen now on YouTube or your favourite #podcast app! bit.ly/4nrItzh

"Europe must act boldly together to provide tailored support for the automotive industry's transformation and achieve new levels of competitiveness together" declares Bavaria's State Secretary for Economic Affairs, Tobias Gotthardt, at the Automotive Regions Alliance meeting. bit.ly/46K0uTw

Registrations are open for #EURegionsWeek 2025! 📆Brussels, Belgium: 13-15 October 2025 This is an essential event to shape the future of #CohesionPolicy. Check out the programme with +200 events, including the annual State of the Regions report presented by CoR President Kata Tüttő. bit.ly/3Ve0Ueq

At a time of growing unrest, #Europe must rise to today’s challenges to protect its citizens. And Europe’s strength lies in its regions and cities. Following today’s #SOTEU address by @ec.europa.eu President @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu, our Group President François Decoster declares ⬇️

By proposing to merge all shared management funds into a single national plan per Member State and eliminating regional programmes, the new #MFF proposal is a threat to the EU’s foundations and future. Read the letter written by our President, François Decoster: reneweurope-cor.eu/mffproposal/

In this article by Ellen van Selm, Mayor of Purmerend & Ailbhe (Alva) Finn, ELF Executive Director, they argue that Europe must move from a politics of scarcity to a politics of abundance. EU cohesion policy simplify funding, empower local actors, and invest in the capacity to build. bit.ly/47iZtm9

Hoe zorgen we nu en in de toekomst.m voor schoon drinkwater? Met Kata Tüttö gesproken over Europese inzet vanuit het EU Comité van Steden en Regio’s. Europees samenwerken voor waterveiligheid is cruciaal! 🇪🇺

📢 We’re hiring! ALDE Party is looking for a Communication Assistant to join our Brussels-based Secretariat. 🇪🇺 If you have a passion for European politics, strong communication skills and want to share the liberal vision across Europe, this is for you! Apply by 14 September: bit.ly/4273y9x

The Renew Europe group in the EU’s assembly of regions and municipalities, the European Committee of the Regions, has been deeply alarmed by the recent arrest of its Bulgarian member, the Mayor of #Varna, Blagomir Kotsev. 🗎 Read our full statement: reneweurope-cor.eu/statementvar...

Learning from each other to prepare citizens for future natural disasters. Renew Europe MEP Joachim Streit 🇩🇪 meets Walloon Parliament President Willy Borsus 🇧🇪 and Tiit Terik 🇪🇪, former Dep. Mayor of Tallinn for Crisis Management. 3️⃣ areas of the EU facing #climate vulnerabilities of different types.

🕯️ 30 years ago in Srebrenica, over 8,000 Bosniak men and boys were murdered by the Bosnian Serb army. As war returns to Europe and hate resurfaces, remembrance must be a call to action to defend peace and democracy. 🔗Full statement : bit.ly/4ksOOZ7

🎙️ Euronews | Bruxelles, je t’aime ? – avec François Decoster Dans cette édition, notre président de groupe discute : 🔹Les tarifs douaniers punitifs de Donald Trump 🔹L’interdiction de la gay pride en Hongrie 🔹Les vagues de chaleur en Europe Regardez le nouvel épisode : fr.euronews.com/embed/2813341

Cross-border cooperation lifts the obstacles that complicate the lives of border citizens and transforms #borders into opportunities - says our President François Decoster at the @reneweurope.bsky.social event with MEPs @sandrogozi.bsky.social & @lubicakarvasova.bsky.social #CrossBorderCooperation

This weekend’s Pride Parade in Budapest may have been banned on paper, but it was unstoppable in spirit. Liberal and democrat subnational leaders were proud to walk alongside those who will not be silenced 👇 reneweurope-cor.eu/budapestpride/ #BudapestPride #RenewEurope #LGBTQIrights

The liberal, democrat and centrist political family gathered at the @reneweurope.bsky.social #LeadersSummit2025 to align on a united vision for #Europe. Representing subnational governments, Reg. Minister of Overijssel (NL) Erwin Hoogland brought the voice of local & regional leaders to the table.

In Lille, subnational leaders met to share local success stories, boost EU-level impact, and strengthen ties with our wider Renew family. Thank you to our guest speakers MEP Dan Barna and MEP Sandro Gozi. Europe starts in our #cities and #regions. 🔗 reneweurope-cor.eu/lille2025/

Jean-Luc Vanraes, on behalf of the municipality of #Uccle (Belgium) starts a partnership with the Ukrainian city of #Bucha as part of #Tips4Ukraine - a #COR program, which aims to strengthen the capacities of Ukrainian local administrations in governance and public services. 📰 bit.ly/4kaBWXp

“#Mayors became symbols of unity, building trust through shared purpose and peace from the ground up.” - says local leader of #Cork County Gillian Coughlan, as the new Chair of the #COR Working Group on #Kosovo 👇 bit.ly/3TtDh0n

At a time of geopolitical uncertainty, climate urgency, and social transformation, liberals & democrats are reaffirming their commitment to building a more prosperous, secure, democratic, and inclusive #Europe. 🔗 Download our political priorities for the new 2025–2030 #COR mandate: bit.ly/465hLGG

At the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice #UNOC3, Mirja Vehkaperä met with EU Commissioner for Fisheries, Costas Kadis. ✅ He supported the idea of including local leaders in the high-level board that will support the Commission in ensuring the effective implementation of the #EUOceanPact.

The Summit of Young Elected Local and Regional Leaders is back! The next edition of the two-day event, co-organised with @lymec.bsky.social & YDE will be on 24–25 September 2025 in Brussels, Belgium. 🏡 2025 theme: “Housing: Bridging Perspectives“ 📆 Register by 20 June: reneweurope-cor.eu/yell2025/

Mayor of St Omer (France), Francois Decoster, met with the Dep. Heads of the European Commission Representatives in the 27 Member States to discuss the EU Local Councillors Network that he helped launch at the European Committee of the Regions. 🔗 Discover more & join the community: bit.ly/45O7lLs

New appointments at the European Committee of the Regions! ➡️ Gillian Coughlan is the new Chair of the CoR Working Group #Kosovo ➡️ Ivan Gulam is the new Co-Chair of the CoR JCC #NorthMacedonia We're committed to fostering partnerships & bringing subnational authorities closer to #EU integration.

🚨 We’ve appointed two Simone Veil Pact coordinators! Welcome Irina Talviste & Pär Löfstrand, who will lead our Group's efforts to advance #GenderEquality across Europe's cities and regions. reneweurope-cor.eu/svcoordinato... Let’s get to work. 💪 #SimoneVeilPact

Europe’s #soil strategy must grow from the ground up. Subnational authorities bring three things: 🟢 Contextual expertise – they know the land. 🟢 Implementation power – through services & networks. 🟢 Democratic legitimacy – local support means long-term success. More in our report: bit.ly/3H9I8RA

EU Commissioner for Oceans & Fisheries Costas Kadis visited local leader Gillian Coughlan - our Bureau member & Chair of the Irish Delegation at the COR during the European Maritime Day Conference in #Cork. A great opportunity to highlight mutual priorities & cooperate at local and European level.

Yesterday Mayor of Autun @chauvetvincent.bsky.social hosted the European Climate Pact event. As our COR ENVE Deputy-Coordinator & representative of European local elected officials at the last #COP (Conference of the Parties) he emphasized that ambition is in the local territories ⬇️ bit.ly/4mv8uh3

Droits de douane: quels effets dans les Hauts-de-France ? Le président de notre groupe, le maire de St Omer et vice-président de la région des Hauts de France, François Decoster, s'exprime sur le sujet 👇 bit.ly/3H1H4iI

On #IDAHOBIT we reaffirm our commitment to defending the rights of the #LGBTQI+ community 🏳️‍🌈 Despite Orbán’s attempt to ban the Budapest Pride parade, we’re proud to announce that we will be attending the event. Together we stand united to say: Love is a right & human rights are non-negotiable 🩷

« Les temps changent et, dans cette nouvelle époque, la construction européenne doit éviter deux écueils » estime François-Xavier Priollaud, membre du comité européen des régions. Explications 👇 bit.ly/4jZ7D6M

Congratulations to the #cities awarded the EU Mission Label for Climate-Neutral & Smart Cities! 🌍 We're proud to see cities led by #liberal & #democrat mayors among this group recognized for their ambitious climate action plans. Let’s keep building a sustainable #Europe! 💪 🔗 bit.ly/4koIYIF

📸 A big thank you to everyone who joined us at the #OpenDoorsDay this past Saturday at the European Committee of the Regions! It was a pleasure to chat with each and every one of you about a more resilient, democratic and inclusive #EU 💙 See you next year! #EuropeDay2025 #EUOpenDoors

On her first institutional visit as President of the European Committee of the Regions, Kata Tüttő visits our member @lucienvda.bsky.social in Valle d'Aosta to witness the European support for #mountain regions & management of #glaciers and #water resources 👇 bit.ly/42UwL8H #ValledAosta #COR

Join us for Open Doors Day! 🎉 📅Saturday, 10 May 2025 📍European Committee of the Regions, Rue Belliard 99/101, 1040 Brussels 🕙10:00 – 18:00 Stop by the Renew Europe stand & let’s celebrate what makes Europe united and local. reneweurope-cor.eu/opendoors2025/ #EuropeDay2025 #EUOpenDoorsDay

👏Congratulations to the 2025 winners of the European Capitals of Inclusion and Diversity Awards organised by the @ec.europa.eu! We were proud to have Katrin Krause represent the European Committee of the Regions and hand out the awards together with European Commissioner @hadjalahbib.bsky.social.

Every year on May 9, we celebrate something we truly believe in: a united, prosperous and peaceful #Europe. This year, we’re kicking off our Celebrate Europe Day campaign with a poster - and you can too. More info below 👇 #EuropeDay #CelebrateEuropeDay #May9

🚀 Calling All Young #LocalLeaders! 🗳️🌍 Are you a young (aged 18–35) elected politician, in the EU or a candidate country, passionate about shaping the future of #Europe? 💬 The Young Elected Politicians (#YEP) Programme 2025 may just be for you! Apply now: reneweurope-cor.eu/yep2025/ #LocalPolitics