European Union Vice President embraces the “Right to Stay”

The European Commission, under the strong leadership of Executive Vice President Raffaele Fitto, has officially launched the "Right to Stay" strategy, a claim that places territorial balance and the fight against depopulation at the heart of the European project. From ORU Fogar we celebrate this historic turn of the European cohesion policy. Last Wednesday, 6 May marked a before and after for the regions and territories of the European Union. At a high-level event in the European Parliament, Raffaele Fitto, Executive Vice President of the European Commission for Cohesion and Reforms, presented the participatory process for the ambitious "Right to Stay" strategy.

Last Wednesday, 6 May marked a before and after for the regions and territories of the European Union. At a high-level event in the European Parliament, Raffaele Fitto, Executive Vice President of the European Commission for Cohesion and Reforms, presented the participatory process for the ambitious "Right to Stay" strategy.

For ORU Fogar, this movement validates a thesis that we have defended at the global level: freedom of movement - one of the pillars of the EU - is only full when there is also freedom of choice.

Commissioner Raffaele Fitto has stood as the main architect of this paradigm shift. During the launch, Fitto emphasized that depopulation is not an abstract trend, but a reality lived in villages and rural areas that lose their youth for lack of basic services and job opportunities.

"Cohesion policy must be the engine that breaks the cycle of depopulation. It is not just about allowing people to leave, but about ensuring that they have the necessary reasons to choose to stay in their communities with dignity and prosperity," the Executive Vice President emphasized.

The event had top-level political support, including messages from Roberta Metsola (President of the European Parliament), Enrico Letta and representatives of the Committee of the Regions, highlighting that the "Right to Stay" is already a cross-cutting priority on the agenda in Brussels.

The new "Right to Stay" strategy is a proposal against demographic decline, which seeks to transform less-developed regions into competitive and resilient poles of attraction. The key points of this initiative include: Investing in Public Services: Ensuring that access to health, education and transport is not dependent on postal codes; Local Job Creation: Fostering economic ecosystems that retain young talent; and Connectivity and Resilience: Strengthen digital and physical infrastructure to connect rural areas with global markets.

From ORU Fogar, we urge all our member and partner regions to participate in the "Call for Evidence" launched by the Commission, which will remain open until June 5. It is time for the voice of the territories to reach directly to Brussels to shape the political actions that will define the cohesion of the future.

The "Right to Stay" is not just an inspiring phrase; under the leadership of Raffaele Fitto, it can become the linchpin of a more humane, territorialized, and just cohesion policy. Because the future of Europe is written from its regions, and that future must offer everyone the opportunity to thrive wherever they choose to call home.