The Commissioner-designate for Cohesion and Reforms, Elisa Ferreira, speaking before the MEPs on Wednesday 2 October, defended the strengthening of the link between the ‘European Semester’ budget process and cohesion policy, as a powerful lever for convergence and consolidation of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). She also supported the maintenance of macroeconomic conditions and – albeit with regret – “moderate” budget cuts in the envelope for cohesion policy after...