20/11/2020 (Agence Europe) – Rafał Trzaskowski, Mayor of Warsaw, and Gergely Karácsony, Mayor of Budapest, together with other major cities, are calling for direct European funding in view of the deadlock caused by their respective governments in the negotiations on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) and the Recovery Plan (see EUROPE 12602/1). “The European Union should not fund corrupt governments, nor should it have to: cities and metropolitan areas are closer to the citizens and better positioned to spend the money responsibly and productively to invest into a greener, healthier, and more resilient future”, said the Mayor of Budapest. The request is not new (see EUROPE 12424/20) and some regions and cities are concerned that they will be subject to the national government’s discretion regarding the allocation of funds, particularly for REACT-EU. (PH)