On Europe Day, Saturday 9 May 2020, Liberal Mayors will discuss and approve during a video conference a declaration on what kind of Europe Liberal Mayors believe is necessary 70 years after the Schuman declaration and coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In past years, the Renew Europe Group in the European Committee of the Regions (Renew Europe CoR) would have been actively encouraging local and regional representatives across Europe to organise celebrations for Europe Day, but this year is not a year for celebration as the COVID-19 pandemic is hitting our societies hard. We must thus observe the day in a different way.

As a result, and under the leadership of our President François Decoster, Mayor of Saint-Omer and Regional Councilor for the Hauts-de-France region, and Mayor of Bratislava Matúš Vallo, Renew Europe CoR will host a video-conference of its Liberal Mayors Summit to discuss what kind of Europe they believe is necessary 70 years after the Schuman Declaration and post-COVID19. Other confirmed participants, among others, include Tom Brabazon (Dublin), Begoña Villacis (Madrid), Bart Somers (Mechelen), Dario Hrebak (Bjelovar), Daniel Berg (Budapest II) and Jasna Gabric (Trbovlje). The EU anthem will also be played by an orchestra specially arranged by Bratislava for this era of social distancing.

This Liberal Mayors Summit draws on Renew Europe CoR’s Liberal Mayors Network, meeting annually at the ALDE Party Congress and which in previous years agreed on a Declaration on the protection of local democracy, a document setting out the Principles which make cities and local communities liberal, and the actions that a Liberal Mayor should take. It also launched an annual call for action for Europe Day on 9 May.

This #EuropeDay, Saturday 9 May 2020, #LiberalMayors will discuss & approve during a video conference a declaration on what kind of #Europe Liberal Mayors believe is necessary 70 years after the Schuman declaration and post-#COVID19: https://t.co/fQ9p7SpNQb! pic.twitter.com/3V6s0cqoAf

For more information, visit the website of Renew Europe CoR, and follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.