Local democracy, in particular, is a forgotten frontline against authoritarianism. In Turkey, for example, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government has increasingly been targeting opposition mayors, turning the protection of municipal autonomy into a rallying cry for the democratic opposition.
Starting with the imprisonment of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu in March, Erdoğan has stepped up his campaign of repression, arresting more than a dozen opposition mayors on politically motivated or unsubstantiated charges. Yet, across the bloc, the response to these politically motivated prosecutions remained muted.
While Brussels and many national governments kept quiet, however, Europe’s mayors raised their voices, proving that cities are the moral heart of our nations. Led by former Florence Mayor and current MEP Dario Nardella, city mayors in Paris, Berlin and Budapest broke the silence and stood up for democratic values.
Closer to citizens and less tainted by the perceived need to placate authoritarian leaders like Erdoğan, local governments are the ones defending democracy where other leaders are faltering. Europe must empower them not just as administrators but as agents of democratic renewal.
“Social Europe” is a strategy. The bloc has long claimed to blend economic freedom with social justice. But that balance is now under threat, with rising military budgets at risk of swallowing the political and financial capital needed for climate resilience, digital equity, housing access and early childhood care.
Reclaiming the vision of a Social Europe is not a nostalgic dream — it’s an existential necessity. In the 21st century, the battle for hearts and minds won’t be won with tanks, it will be won with trust. And that trust is built on a daily basis by addressing fundamental concerns.
