The ECR Summit of Conservative and Reformist Local and Regional Leaders will be held in Bratislava (Slovakia), and hosted by our ECR Vice-President Juraj Droba, President of the Bratislava Region. The Summit will focus on the local and regional perspective on the future EU Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), including discussions on a reformed Cohesion Policy with regions at the centre. It will also address how demographic change is affecting Europe’s regions, with a focus on the implications for public services and on social policy responses at local and regional level.

Topics

1. Shaping Europe's budget with regions at its centre

As Europe faces an increasingly fragmented economic and global landscape, the post-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) must evolve from a traditional spending tool into an engine for competitiveness and strategic autonomy, tapping into the potential of every region. This panel will explore the European Commission's proposal for the reformed MFF, as well as the future shape of Cohesion Policy, and how it can better support growth and regional development. Focusing on the role of regions, the session aims to outline a more flexible and pragmatic financial architecture capable of securing the EU's cohesion, security and resilience in a decade of transition.

2. Delivering better public services to fight demographic crisis

Europe is undergoing profound demographic change, increasingly evident across the regions throughout the EU. Ageing societies, low birth rates and both internal and external migration are reshaping local communities and placing growing demands on public services, healthcare, housing and education. This panel will examine how regions can adapt to these pressures in a practical and responsible way, with a focus on the organisation of public services and on result-oriented social policy responses. The discussion will highlight territorial differences, identify key risks and constraints, and focus on practical experiences and workable policy solutions from across Europe.