How will demographic change shape the future of European regions – and what can regions and cities do to respond?

This was one of the central questions at the Summit of European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), held on 16 April 2026 at Divadlo Aréna in Bratislava.

The first panel on shaping the European budget with regions featured:

• Raffaele Fitto, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for Cohesion and Reforms
• Roberta Angelilli, Vice-President of the Lazio Region
• Matteo Luigi Bianchi, Vice-President of the European Committee of the Regions
• Denis Nesci, Member of the European Parliament and ECR Group coordinator in the REGI committee
• Władysław Ortyl, Marshal of the Subcarpathian Voivodeship and First Vice-President of the ECR Group in the European Committee of the Regions
• Branislav Zacharides, Mayor of Vrútky

One of Europe's leading experts on migration and labour markets, CELSI co-founder and Scientific Director Martin Kahanec, spoke on the second panel dedicated to delivering better public services as a tool for addressing the demographic crisis.

Fellow panellists included:

• Pierluigi Biondi, Mayor of L'Aquila
• Carlo Fidanza, Member of the European Parliament and ECR Group Vice-President
• Adam Karácsony, Vice-President of the Pest County Assembly and European Committee of the Regions rapporteur on demographic change in Europe
• Barbora Lukáčová, Director of the Strategy, Territorial Development and Project Management Department of the Bratislava Self-Governing Region

The summit was hosted by Juraj Droba, President of the Bratislava Self-Governing Region and Vice-President of the ECR Group in the European Committee of the Regions.

Kahanec stressed that Europe's demographic decline is not just a social issue — it is a systemic challenge threatening growth, competitiveness, and the future of public services.

Two out of three EU regions are projected to shrink by 2050, with peripheral regions — especially in Central and Eastern Europe — caught in a self-reinforcing doom loop of outmigration, ageing, and economic weakening.

Kahanec argued that decline is not destiny. Activating domestic labour reserves, managed migration with fast and fair recognition of qualifications, and investing in the conditions that make regions worth living in — decent jobs, affordable housing, quality schools and healthcare — are key to breaking the cycle and building resilient, prosperous communities.

🔗 More in the comments.

#CELSI #MartinKahanec #ECRSummit #Demographics #Migration #LabourMarket #Bratislava #Regions #Europe