Mayors of European cities call on the governments of Hungary and Poland to end their veto on the EU budget-and-recovery package. “The ‘Next Generation EU’ budget is indispensable to help European cities in the continent’s most important social and economic crisis since the post-war period”, said Dario Nardella, mayor of Florence and newly elected president of the network Eurocities. “Without these funds, cities risk collapse as the crisis explodes.”

“This is the time for solidarity, not for vetoes”, Nardella said. Every month of delay could be “fatal for the resurgence of hundreds of cities, which are now in extreme difficulty due to the Covid-19 health crisis and its economic and social consequences.” On the occasion of today’s summit, Nardella urged the governments of the EU member states to adopt the budget proposal and allow the resources to arrive quickly where they are needed most: in cities.

Hungary and Poland are blocking the €1.8 trillion budget and coronavirus rescue fund package over a rule-of-law clause. Slovenia has expressed support for their position.

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Media contact:
Alex Godson: +32 495 298 594 // alex.godson@eurocities.eu