"We have different backgrounds; different experiences and we work on different levels of government. This is the richness of the EPP. We are well rooted on the ground, committed to bring Europe closer to the people and to shape EU policies taking into account the aspirations of citizens." Olgierd Geblewicz, President of the EPP Group in the European Committee of the Regions (EPP-CoR) and President of West Pomerania Region made these remarks during a joint meeting of the EPP-CoR and the EPP group in the European Parliament.

Manfred Weber, Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament and President of the EPP said "Europe starts with the people in our municipalities and regions. It is where we are strong as EPP where we hear people's concerns and ambitions." He thanked Olgierd Geblewicz and EPP-CoR members for the discussions held during the joint group meeting.

Apostlos Tzitzikostas, Governor of Central Macedonia said  “Europe is a local matter, so let's start working together from the bottom up.”

Rafał Trzaskowski, Mayor of Warsaw stressed the importance of synergy between the two groups. He added "We also need direct funding for cities in order to be able to deliver key EU Green Deal projects. Populists do not win cities and regions. It is us who must show that populism has no place in Europe."

Sven Schulze, Minister for Economic Affairs, Tourism, Agriculture and Forestry of the Federal State of Saxony-Anhalt spoke on the need to shape European politics jointly and hand in hand with European regions. He added that this is a win-win approach against forces that want to split Europe or paint Europe as a problem.

Jelena Drenjanin, EPP-CoR 1st Vice-President said "We need to see more women and youth engaging in politics at all levels to make societies safer and healthier. We know that gender equality is essential for economic prosperity. It also gives us new tools to make the sustainable development goals achievable"

Emil Boc, Mayor of Cluj-Napoca said "Working together is not only a win-win situation but also a great opportunity to strengthen the European project and the European way of life. In order to win the heart of our citizens we need to understand their needs. At the end, all politics is local. We need less bureaucratic language and more tangible actions."

Markku Markkula, President of Helsinki Region said "The local and regional levels are crucial in all EU policies. We do not need more strict rules but joint societal innovations to support and encourage local collaboration in green and digital transformation. Citizens want to see and hear that the EU is at their service."

Ricardo Rio, Mayor of Braga said "The Road to Recovery event organsied by both groups in Lisbon was a great success as it was a great example of what we can do in the EPP: engagement with different levels of government, representative of all strands of society and impact in terms of coverage."

Anders Knape, member of Karlstad Municipality said "We can see results in EPP driven cities and regions. The CoR is still lagging behind when it comes to similar institutions. We have been fighting for years for resources but we are still far behind. We think there is room for redistribution with no extra cost for European taxpayers."

MEP Antonio López-Istúriz White said "The EU's message is under threat from the inside and from the outside. We need you the local and regional level to speak about Europe on a daily basis as you are the ones closer to citizens."

 

 

 

 

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