Jorge Carvalho, president of the Funchal City Council, argued that Portuguese municipalities need to gain scale and critical mass to face the new challenges of European financing. The mayor, elected by the PSD/CDS coalition, considered this an essential condition for municipalities to adequately meet the demands of European funds.
During his speech, Jorge Carvalho warned that the European Union is evolving from a "Europe of Regions" to a "Europe of States", a change he considers significant for the future of municipalities. The mayor emphasized that municipalities cannot limit themselves to passively watching this transformation.
These statements were made at the beginning of a debate on the theme "Municipalities' access to European funds", which took place at Hotel Vila Galé. The event brought together municipal officials and specialists to discuss strategies for accessing European funds available to municipalities.
