European regions warn Brussels against centralization

European regions face massive loss of significance

According to Kretschmer, continuity and reliability are necessary to avoid jeopardizing the successes achieved. “Saxony has benefited from EU cohesion policy more than almost any other region in Germany. Since reunification, more than 20 billion euros in funding has flowed into the Free State. We have wisely invested this in education, infrastructure, and rural areas.” Therefore, they expect the European Commission to “correct the dangerous course of centralization it has embarked upon” in the ongoing negotiations. Otherwise, the regions face a massive loss of significance.

Call for Mandatory Participation

The signatories of the letter strongly warn that shifting decision-making and steering powers to the national level would undermine the fundamental principles of subsidiarity and partnership. They therefore call in particular for mandatory participation of the regions in future national and regional partnership plans, adequate financial resources for the regional level, and decision-making authority over the use of regionally allocated funds. At the same time, they urge the retention of co-financing conditions and realistic deadlines for the implementation of funding programs.

Copyright 2026, dpa (www.dpa.de). All rights reserved