At a pivotal moment for the European Union, progressive local and regional leaders gathered in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on 15 January 2026 for the external meeting of the PES Group in the European Committee of the Regions.
Hosted by Mayor Carolina Darias San Sebastián, in partnership with S&D and PES, the meeting underscored a unified message: cohesion is not simply a policy: it is a fundamental European value that must be actively defended and strengthened.
Alongside the #ProgressiveSpeakUpSchool, the event brought together around 50 young elected representatives from across Europe and beyond.
Participants debated the future of democracy and the responsibilities of local authorities, ultimately approving 10 concrete actions to safeguard democratic resilience across the Union.
PES Group President Luca Menesini stated: “Cities and regions are at the heart of the European project. Without strong territories, there can be no cohesion, no trust, and no genuine European democracy.”
During the meeting, the PES Group adopted a series of strategic documents that outline a bold, progressive vision for the coming decade, particularly relevant as the new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) begins to take shape.
These include:
- a position paper on the Multiannual Financial Framework, calling for a more ambitious EU budget that boosts cohesion, green and digital transition, and public services
- a position paper on Short‑Term Rentals, insisting on stricter rules to tackle the housing crisis and uphold the right to affordable housing. A broader framework for industrial and territorial innovation, supporting SMEs and quality employment to support advocacy across Europe
- the PES Group has also released a lobby sheet designed for wide distribution to mobilise local and regional actors in the defence of cohesion policy. You can download the available language versions below:
Bulgarian | English | French | German | Greek | Hungarian | Italian | Polish | Spanish
