At the external CoR Bureau meeting held in Mullingar during the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the ECR delegation made the Right to Stay its central message: Europeans must be able to build a future in the regions they call home.
The CoR Bureau adopted the Mullingar Declaration, “A Future worth staying for”, affirming that mobility must be a choice, not an obligation caused by a lack of jobs, housing, services or connectivity. The ECR delegation was led by First Vice-President Władysław Ortyl, alongside Anna Magyar (Vice-President), Matteo Bianchi (Bureau Member) and Ádám Karácsony (Bureau Member). The CoR Bureau was attended by Irish Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development, Jerry Buttimer.
“The Right to Stay is about freedom: no European should be forced to leave because opportunities or essential services have disappeared from their region,” said Mr Ortyl.
For the ECR Group, the Right to Stay is a key policy priority. It requires competitive local economies, quality jobs, affordable housing, strong families, accessible public services and modern transport and digital links, especially in rural, border, island, mountain and remote areas. Cohesion policy must remain place-based and give local and regional authorities a decisive role.
The political choice is clear: Europe can continue concentrating opportunity in a few urban centres, or it can restore the strength of every region. “For the ECR Group, the Right to Stay means rejecting a Europe of empty villages, abandoned borderlands and citizens forced to move. We want policies that bring power, investment and opportunity back to our communities,” Mr Ortyl said.
The initiative was spearheaded by European Commission Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto, whose leadership has brought demographic decline and territorial disparities to the forefront of the European agenda.
“Executive Vice-President Fitto has understood that territorial cohesion is essential to Europe’s competitiveness and resilience. The Mullingar Declaration must now be followed by concrete action,” Mr Ortyl stressed.
At the Conference of Presidents in Dublin, attended by John Cummins, Minister of State for Local Government and Planning of Ireland, Mr Ortyl led the ECR delegation in discussions on stronger local and regional government, subsidiarity and meaningful territorial involvement in EU policymaking. “If Europe wants citizens to stay, it must give them the conditions to succeed: good jobs, thriving businesses, affordable homes and accessible services. Regions must have a decisive voice in delivering these investments,” Mr Ortyl added.