{
    "title": "A message from the PES Group President",
    "modified_at": "2026-11-06 09:57:23",
    "published_at": "2026-11-06 09:57:00",
    "url": "https://pes-group-newsroom.prezly.com/a-message-from-the-pes-group-president",
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    "language": "EN",
    "subtitle": "Adopt a resolution in your local or regional council before 17 December",
    "slug": "a-message-from-the-pes-group-president",
    "body": "<p>Dear colleagues,</p><p>The negotiations on the EU&#039;s next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) are entering a decisive phase. The choices made in the coming weeks will determine whether the EU continues to invest in its regions, cities and people, or weakens the policies that hold our communities together.</p><p><strong>We cannot leave this debate to Brussels alone. We need to make our voices heard where it matters most: in our territories and national political debates.</strong></p><h3 id=\"a-common-progressive-position\" ><strong>A common progressive position</strong></h3><p>The PES Presidency has recently adopted a resolution setting out our political family&#039;s priorities for the next EU budget. Our group contributed substantially to it, defending an ambitious EU budget, strong cohesion policy, social investment and respect for the partnership principle and subsidiarity.</p><p>We have also been actively shaping the debate through our common position adopted in Las Palmas, our work on CoR opinions and the MFF Steering Board. You can find the latest<strong> MFF briefing prepared by the PES Group Secretariat here </strong>\u2935\ufe0f</p><a href='https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/b701b79c-2b4c-467d-a0bc-2af89915866a/-/inline/no/2026-10-12-pes-mff-briefing-en.pdf' class='release-content-attachment' id='attachment-b701b79c-2b4c-467d-a0bc-2af89915866a' data-type='attachment' data-track='Story File Download' data-placement='content' data-id='b701b79c-2b4c-467d-a0bc-2af89915866a'>\n    <span class='release-content-attachment__icon'>\n        <svg class=\"icon icon-download\">\n                <use xlink:href=\"#icon-download\"></use>\n            </svg>\n    </span>\n    <span class='release-content-attachment__details'>\n        <strong class='release-content-attachment__title'>2026 10 12 PES MFF Briefing - EN.pdf</strong>\n        <em class='release-content-attachment__subtitle'>198 KB</em>\n    </span>\n</a><p>Several recent PES Group-led initiatives have further strengthened our message:</p><ul class=\"release-content-list release-content-list--bulleted release-content-list--align-inherit\"><li><span><strong>The Declaration of Athens: A Budget for Democracy</strong>, linking EU investment to the strength of our democracies \u27a1\ufe0f <a href=\"https://takeastand.eu/\"><u><strong>Sign the declaration at takeastand.eu</strong></u></a></span></li><li><span><strong>The letter from CoR President Kata T&uuml;tt\u0151 and 21 European capital mayors</strong>, highlighting why cohesion policy matters to all cities and regions, not just those facing the greatest economic challenges \u27a1\ufe0f <a href=\"https://www.eunews.it/en/2026/10/07/capital-cities-oppose-eu-budget-cuts-cohesion-is-not-merely-a-matter-of-redistribution/\"><u><strong>Read more</strong></u></a></span></li><li><span><strong>The joint declaration by progressive presidents of Italian regions</strong>, demonstrating a united regional front against cuts to the EU budget and in defence of cohesion \u27a1\ufe0f <a href=\"https://pes.cor.europa.eu/article/progressive-leaders-unite-against-cuts-eu-budget-and-defend-cohesion\">Read more</a></span></li></ul><h4 id=\"bring-the-mff-debate-to-your-council\" ><strong>Bring the MFF debate to your council</strong></h4><p style=\"text-align: left\">This debate must move beyond Brussels. As local and regional elected representatives, you have a direct connection to the communities that stand to lose most if the territorial dimension of the EU budget is weakened. \u200b </p><p style=\"text-align: left\">This initiative was inspired by our comrades <strong>Antonio Mazzeo, </strong>Vice-President of the Tuscany Regional Council, and <strong>Christophe Rouillon</strong>, Mayor of Coulaines and councillor of the Sarthe D&eacute;partement, who took the lead in bringing the issue to their<u> regional </u>and provincial assemblies. We want to see this mobilisation spread across Europe. </p><p style=\"text-align: left\">To help you, the PES Group Secretariat has prepared an <strong>English-language template resolution</strong>, which you can adapt to your own context \u2935\ufe0f</p><a href='https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/4ccba2c6-0090-4705-a901-7e60235e5c48/-/inline/no/template-resolution-mff-cohesion.pdf' class='release-content-attachment' id='attachment-4ccba2c6-0090-4705-a901-7e60235e5c48' data-type='attachment' data-track='Story File Download' data-placement='content' data-id='4ccba2c6-0090-4705-a901-7e60235e5c48'>\n    <span class='release-content-attachment__icon'>\n        <svg class=\"icon icon-download\">\n                <use xlink:href=\"#icon-download\"></use>\n            </svg>\n    </span>\n    <span class='release-content-attachment__details'>\n        <strong class='release-content-attachment__title'>Template Resolution MFF-Cohesion.pdf</strong>\n        <em class='release-content-attachment__subtitle'>81 KB</em>\n    </span>\n</a><p style=\"text-align: left\"><strong>Timing is crucial.</strong> The European Council on <strong>17 December</strong> will be an important moment in the MFF negotiations. We therefore encourage you to table your resolution as soon as possible</p><p style=\"text-align: left\">Thank you for your commitment. For the template or support in taking this initiative forward, please contact the PES Group Secretariat. </p><p>Thank you for your commitment.</p><p>With best regards,</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Luca Menesini<br>\u200b</strong>President of the PES Group<br>\u200bEuropean Committee of the Regions</p><p>&nbsp;</p>",
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