As announced, PES-affiliated Hungarian Kata Tüttő was elected head of the European Committee of the Regions on Thursday 20 February for the next two and a half years of a five-year mandate (see EUROPE 13570/14).
Juan Manuel Moreno Bonilla (EPP, Spanish), President of the Spanish region of Andalusia, was elected First Vice-President of the CoR and, under a political agreement, the PES will hand over the presidency to the EPP halfway through the mandate. Barring election to another post in Spain, Mr Moreno Bonilla will succeed Ms Tüttő for the remainder of her five-year term at the European Committee of the Regions.
At a press conference, Kata Tüttő said that cohesion policy needed to be constantly recalibrated, “but it must not be over-centralised or over-regulated ". It must remain flexible, she believes. Questioned by the press, she added that the CoR would “fight for flexibility and decentralisation by calling on all other mayors” in Europe.
According to Mr Bonilla, the CoR is “entering a new phase”, in which the presidencies have set common objectives. “We have a five-year mandate ahead of us, and the aim of this co-presidency is to ensure that the CoR becomes an influential body in decision-making within the European Union, particularly with the Commission”, said Mr Bonilla. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)