On 27 October 2021, during its 41st session, the Council of Europe Congress of Local and Regional Authorities debated “Covid: the road to recovery?”. 

The debate tackled pressing issues at stake in European cities and regions: how can societies recover from the crisis as the health situation appears to be stabilizing in many European countries? As local and regional authorities found themselves at the frontline as the pandemic surged, their responses to economic and social challenges remain crucial as the pandemic and its aftermath continues.

OECD Deputy Secretary General, Ulrik Vestergaard-Knudsen, and the Appointed Governor of the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB), Carlo Monticelli, participated in the debate as guest speakers.

The OECD Deputy Secretary-General highlighted the heterogeneity of the economic and social consequences of the pandemic among regions. The geography of the Covid-19 crisis has revealed growing regional inequalities in access to health, he explained, and noted that where there is less confidence in governments, vaccination campaigns were less effective. He underlined the need to develop national recovery strategies by moving away from traditional approaches, through proactive regional development policies adapted to the specific region. “We now have an opportunity to leverage the massive inflow of recovery funds from governments to do things differently,” he said. This requires sustainable strategies that strengthen the resilience of regions, in particular with regard to climate change, digitization and the acceleration of remote work.

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