Timisoara brings cities at the heart of major European debates at the first edition of the Cities Summit
Timisoara, a city defined by courage and values, once again becomes a European landmark. The city on the Bega River is hosting, for the very first time, the Timisoara Cities Summit — a European forum dedicated to mayors and urban leaders, bringing cities to the forefront of Europe’s most important debates.
The inaugural edition addresses one of today’s most pressing challenges: “The Enlargement of the European Union” and the essential role cities play in shaping the Union’s future. The event combines a closed summit for local leaders and decision-makers with a public forum open to civil society and citizens.
Discussions will explore how cities navigate funding, bureaucracy, and citizens’ trust.
Key questions will be raised: Is enlargement a threat or an opportunity? How can it become a key security issue for Europe? By anchoring these themes in the everyday realities of urban communities, the Summit ensures a people-centered and relevant debate.
It is no coincidence that Timisoara is the host of this initiative. Known as the city of civic spirit and courage, the place where the 1989 Revolution began, Timisoara proves that Europe’s future is forged not only in its capitals, but in the daily heartbit of its cities. It is also the city that honors internationally recognized figures who defend European values both within and beyond the Union, by awarding each year the Timisoara Prize for European Values.
Furthermore, Timisoara’s mayor, Dominic Fritz, became the first mayor in Romania to join the Pact of Free Cities, further strengthening Timisoara’s European profile and its openness to international cooperation.