Crisis and decentralisation

What is Europe doing to counter the effects and to face the challenges of the current economic crisis and its worrisome social repercussions? Such were the questions put forward by Michael Häupl, President of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), Mayor and Governor of Vienna, in his column published at the occasion of Europe Day, on 9 May.

 

In his column, written in the name of European local and regional authorities, CEMR's President underlined that the will of some member states to solve problems at a European level seems limited, including in the recent debate on solidarity amongst members of the Eurozone.

 

In the context of the European Commission's new 2010 work programme, Häupl declared that the European Union's construction is still underway but Europe needs to reassert itself in its development and build a project with all levels of government, including local and regional authorities.

 

The column in pdf