In a detailed written statement to The Brussels Morning Newspaper, Member of the European Parliament Oihane Agirregoitia outlined her priorities for reforming the European Union’s cohesion policy. Responding to questions on governance, regional autonomy, and rural development, the Basque MEP emphasized that transparency, subsidiarity, and a differentiated approach are essential to ensuring that cohesion funds address both economic disparities and the rising threat of far-right extremism.
Her remarks come as the EU revisits its cohesion policy instruments ahead of the July announcement on the new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), a key pillar of regional funding across the bloc.
Good Governance Key to Curbing Extremism and Inequality
Asked what reforms are needed to ensure cohesion funds address inequality and reduce the appeal of far-right populism, Agirregoitia directly linked poor governance to social polarization.
“The far and extreme right feed off the population’s discontent,”
she stated,
“so what we need to do if we want to stop the polarization and extremism we’ve been seeing for several years is to listen and respond to the concerns that European citizens have, whether they’re caused by social and economic inequalities, distrust in institutions, or fear of the successive crises we’ve experienced.”
She pointed to cohesion funds as a vital tool in this context, calling them
“the main instruments we have at the European level to reduce territorial and social disparities and to drive our development at the local and regional level.”
In terms of concrete governance reforms, Agirregoitia proposed several measures.
“First, ensure that funds are used well, with transparency, and that they respond to the needs of each region,”
she said.
“For this, citizen participation can be strengthened, the potential that digitalization offers in terms of accountability can be leveraged, coordination can be improved. And, above all, what we can and need to do is offer a differentiated territorial approach because not all regions have the same needs or the same concerns.”
Regionalized Fund Management to Maximize Local Impact
Agirregoitia was unequivocal in her support for devolving cohesion policy to the regional level. In response to questions about balancing EU oversight with regional autonomy, she emphasized proximity to citizens as a fundamental principle.
“We are in favor of maintaining cohesion fund management as close to citizens as possible because the closest administration is the one best positioned to understand the needs and respond more quickly, including in rural areas,”
she wrote.
She pointed to the Basque Country’s own governance record as a case study in effective localized administration.
“So we support and will defend a regionalized cohesion policy with management autonomy because there are plans that work better if managed at the local and regional level, as we have demonstrated from the Basque Country.”
However, Agirregoitia voiced concern over a potential drift toward recentralization in the EU’s next budget cycle.
“To achieve an adequate balance, it’s necessary to ensure that regional voices count, and that’s why we’ve been insisting for months that we’re concerned about a possible centralization of funds in a single national program in the next MFF.”
She referenced recent statements from Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as a potential opening.
“The President of the European Commission announced a few weeks ago her intention to give regions a voice in the new multiannual financial framework. We’ll see in July what this materializes into.”
Tackling Rural Challenges: Connectivity, Bureaucracy, and Depopulation
When asked about the main challenges rural regions face in accessing and utilizing EU cohesion funds, Agirregoitia underscored bureaucratic obstacles and the lack of basic infrastructure.
“This is one of the challenges we face,”
she noted.
“This very week we approved a report in the European Parliament that proposes ideas to strengthen rural areas through a decentralized cohesion policy, because any centralization can lead to greater inefficiency in terms of bureaucracy and delays in funds absorption.”
Agirregoitia laid out specific, actionable measures that could empower rural communities:
“For example, by promoting connectivity both digital and in transport, incentivizing the purchase and renovation of houses in rural areas, promoting professional training and creating mobile medical units etc.”
But she emphasized that the issue goes far beyond fund distribution mechanics.
“The problem that many of these areas have is not just access to and the use of funds,”
she wrote,
“but also connectivity, access to basic services like education or healthcare, access to housing, and economic development opportunities. All of this pushes many people to emigrate and depopulate rural areas, so cohesion policy can do a lot for those who want to stay.”
Cohesion Policy at a Critical Juncture
Agirregoitia’s responses reflect mounting pressure on EU institutions to reform cohesion policy in a way that is both inclusive and responsive to local needs. As debates intensify over the next MFF, her call to uphold regional autonomy and transparent governance resonates with broader concerns about centralization and social fragmentation across the bloc.
Her warnings also carry electoral weight, as dissatisfaction in underdeveloped regions continues to fuel political instability. With July’s EU budget proposals set to define the bloc’s cohesion strategy for years to come, the question remains whether the Commission and member states will heed the calls from regions like the Basque Country.
The Brussels Morning Newspaper will continue to monitor developments in cohesion policy reform and regional governance negotiations as EU institutions finalize the framework for post-2027 cohesion funding.
