Thanks for inviting me to participate in the opening of the New European Bauhaus Festival, a decisive initiative launched by President Ursula von der Leyen.
In April 2021, during Portugal’s Council Presidency, I took part in the first iteration of this event, at that time taking place virtually, due to the pandemic restrictions – a long time ago! So, it brings me great joy to join you now in person, to open this forum for engagement and ideas on how we can shape a more inclusive, sustainable, innovative and vibrant future.
When I spoke back then, I proposed that art and architecture should be mobilised to adapt our cities to the new reality of climate change and to evolving human needs, to strengthen the inclusivity and affordability of access to housing. And I am convinced, that this is more necessary than ever.
We often say that the European Union is a union of shared values. In the broad sense, it is clear what we mean by that: peace, democracy, prosperity, solidarity, and security. Those values support a European way of life, built upon the common foundations of inclusion, human dignity, and solidarity – our European Social Model.
Shelter is one of our most basic human needs, and housing is a fundamental human right. Housing, its affordability and its availability, is a concern of every European citizen. And right now, it is clear that housing is a problem shared across our continent.
In April, I met for a second time with the coalition of Mayors for Housing, a pan European, cross-party alliance representing cities and towns from all corners of Europe. They shared with me what they are seeing every day: it is a multi-layer crisis, a layer with homelessness, a crisis for householders with lower incomes, but also, a crisis impacting the middle class, and, especially, the younger generations.
And worse, the lack of affordable housing is at the core of people’s disillusionment with democratic institutions. That is why the Commission has now for the first time a Commissioner with the portfolio for housing. That is why I put the housing crisis on the agenda of the European Council last October. That is why the Commission presented a strategy for affordable housing. That is why, although competences for affordable housing remain at national, regional, and local level, it is important for us to consider how the European Union can complement and support those efforts in full respect of the subsidiarity principle.
Listening to our mayors it is clear that they expect that the European Union can support their efforts, through:
- better regulation
- increasing innovation in construction industry
- and ensuring that national and regional programmes of the next MFF allow for investment in affordable housing
To strengthen our social cohesion, to strengthen our democratic systems, and to boost our competitiveness, we need to tackle this multi-level housing crisis with a multi-level response.
And why is this New Bauhaus Initiative so important for Europe’s future and for affordable housing? Because like the original Bauhaus movement that emerged around a century ago, it comes at a pivotal time for our continent.
Now is the time to maintain this spirit within the New European Bauhaus initiative. We need sustainability, we need innovation and we need affordability. By co-creation, co-design, and co-implementation, crossing disciplines and making citizens active actors to identify solutions to the societal, ecology and sustainability challenges facing our cities. With a vibrant community developing innovative ideas to provide concrete solutions for cities for today and tomorrow’s challenges.
Citizens, and all stakeholders, should be involved in the process of reshaping and adapting their public spaces, their cities, their districts, from the idea and design stages until the implementation and maintenance. Engaging via different fora and formats with all parties is the guarantee of democratic process ensuring empowerment and accountability in urban process. This participative multi-level governance is the best way to stay close to citizens, offering better democracy, accountability, and effectiveness.
Given the magnitude of the challenges, we must continue to act together – at every level – to restore access to affordable and sustainable housing to every citizen. We count on the collective inspiration, imagination and creativity of all the New European Bauhaus communities and projects, and the ideas you generate together in the coming days.
Thank you very much and good luck.