Local and regional leaders called for direct funding to help cities support refugees and ensure energy independence from Russian oil during an EPP Local Dialogue organised by the EPP-CoR Group and CDA ahead of the EPP Congress taking place in Rotterdam. They also expressed commitment to rebuild Ukraine through twinnings between cities and regions in Ukraine and the EU as well as through an alliance of European cities and regions that will share knowledge to rebuild Ukraine.
Olgierd Geblewicz, President of the EPP-CoR Group said that for every damaged city, there must be at least one other twin city in Europe to support it. Geblewicz who is President of the West Pomeranian Region (Poland) added that the war has created new challenges for cities and regions, particularly in terms of energy security and he highlighted the need to urgently diversify energy sources and energy suppliers.
Apostolos Tzitzikostas, President of the CoR and Governor of Central Macedonia Region (Greece) proposed to build a new Alliance of cities and regions that will share their know-how and contribute to the reconstruction of Ukraine from the bottom up.
Ellen Nauta-van Moorsel, Head of the Dutch delegation at the CoR, Mayor of Hof van Twente (the Netherlands) spoke on the need of strategic autonomy and interconnectivity. “Due to the fast changes in a highly connected world economy, we feel the urge to become less dependent on for example China and Russia, when it comes to vital economic sectors such as food, energy and industries.”
Vadym Boychenko, Mayor of Mariupol (Ukraine) expressed gratitude for all support and humanitarian assistance offered by cities and regions but called for more decisive economic sanctions against Russia. He said that every day of delay leads to high costs in human lives.
Tetiana Yehorova-Lutsenko, Head of the Kharkiv Regional Council (Ukraine) said “We want to make sure that Ukraine is safe so that our citizens can come back to their cities and regions. The humanitarian aid that we have been receiving is crucial.” She supported the twining idea proposed by the EPP-CoR describing it as an excellent idea and will be of great help for Ukraine.
Manfred Weber, Candidate for the EPP Presidency and President of the EPP Group in the European Parliament said that the EPP will stick to the ambitious approach to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030. “We have to speed up the transition to create a future based on cleaner and cheaper energy and be energy independent. We have to do it together local communities, the national and European level.”
Rafał Trzaskowski, Mayor of Warsaw (Poland) called for direct EU funding for cities and regions to help them support refugees. “We were the first to face the consequences of the war and need more support.”
Emil Boc, Mayor of Cluj Napoca (Romania) and former Prime Minister of Romania said “We have had three months of war, but at the same time, three months of remarkable unity in response to the Russian invasion.” He added “We can’t wait until the end of the war to help Ukraine️. Ukrainian cities need our support now. We have to repair critical infrastructure and to rebuild the economy based on the European model.”
Roman Línek, Vice-President of Pardubice Region (Czech Republic) said that it is vital to strengthen and deepen cooperation between states, regions and cities in their distribution of information, responsibility and support. He also called for more focus on structural/cohesion programmes for long-term stay and integration of refugees.
Franck Proust, President of Nîmes Metropoles (France) and Vice-President of the EPP said “This war is threatening our military, energy and food security. We have to make sure that our industries, farmers and companies have the necessary resources and facilities to adapt to the current situation. Our citizens need to feel that Europe is protecting them.”
Lídia Pereira, Member of the European Parliament and President of the Youth of the EPP said that local and regional authorities are able to recognise the impact of Climate Change in their communities. “Only by working together we can preserve our environment and make sure that we are energy independent in a sustainable way.”
Michel Rogier, Provincial Party Leader in the Province Zuid-Holland (The Netherlands) said that recent world developments urge us to speed up innovation. He stressed “Political decisions need to anticipate such challenges in a quick and apt manner”. Rogier pointed out that until recently, our concern was centered on the climatic consequences related to energy usage. Now, the war in Eastern Europe is causing big financial energy interest as well.
The EPP Local Dialogue was moderated by Wytske Postma, former MP of the CDA and was attended by various local and regional leaders, and MEPs including Antonio Tajani.