Major survey of European mayors: Democracy is under serious threat, and cities are fighting back

• Democracy and services for citizens have surged into mayors’ top five priorities for 2026. Over a third of mayors rank them among their top priorities.
• Mayors see backsliding on the rule of law as the EU’s biggest existential threat, cited by 36% of mayors. 80% of mayors report direct exposure to online harassment or disinformation.
  

European mayors are deeply concerned that democratic values are under serious pressure, as democratic backsliding, disinformation and widening inequalities erode citizens’ trust and undermine city leadership, a major new Eurocities survey has revealed.

Based on responses from 88 mayors in 27 European countries, the fourth edition of the Eurocities Pulse Mayors Survey offers key insights into the main challenges, priorities and achievements shaping Europe’s urban landscape in 2026. 

This year, strengthening democracy and services for citizens have surged into mayors’ top five priorities - up from seventh place last year and ninth in 2024. Over a third of mayors now rank them among their top priorities.

Mayors say they are responding with decisive action, by strengthening public services, speaking directly to residents, improving transparency and trust, tackling housing pressures and calling for a stronger role for cities in Europe.

They identify rule of law backsliding as the biggest existential threat facing the EU over the next decade, cited by 36% of mayors. The pressure is also personal: four in five mayors report direct exposure to online violence, harassment or disinformation, with one in three saying this happens frequently.

“Democracy is something we practice every day in our cities,” states Mathias De Clercq, President of Eurocities and Mayor of Ghent. “Mayors are often the first to feel the pressure of polarisation and mistrust, but we are also the first to respond. Deliberative democracy, where people are directly involved in shaping decisions, is becoming mainstream in Europe’s cities, with 98% of mayors planning to use it in future decision-making.”

For mayors, beyond speaking directly to their residents, supporting democracy means delivering on what matters. Climate action is the top priority for the fourth year in a row, selected by 44% of mayors. Despite reduced EU and national support, mayors are delivering climate mitigation and adaptation measures as extreme weather, heatwaves and flooding intensify.

Affordable housing remains the second-highest priority for the second year running, selected by 39% of mayors. The largest share of mayors (19%) selected it as their number one priority, highlighting Europe’s deepening housing crisis.

Mayors increasingly see housing as a democratic issue, with rising rents and a lack of affordable homes pushing people out of cities and weakening trust in politics. Over half of mayors expect both the housing affordability gap and wealth and income inequalities to widen over the next decade.

“People need to feel that democracy delivers, and that starts with being able to live, work and belong in their city,” says André Sobczak, Secretary General of Eurocities. “Cities are ready to act, but they need the tools, resources and autonomy to do so.”

Mayors’ biggest priorities in 2026 are:

• Climate action - selected 44% of mayors: Despite reduced EU and national support, mayors are investing in climate mitigation and adaptation, including urban greening, renovation and flood protection.
• Affordable housing - selected by 39% of mayors: Mayors are calling for stronger EU investment in affordable and social housing, better regulation of short-term rentals and more sustainable housing solutions.
• Urban planning and infrastructure - selected by 37% of mayors: Mayors are modernising infrastructure, upgrading public facilities and regenerating public spaces.
• Social inclusion and equity - selected by 34% of mayors: Mayors are focused on reducing inequalities, tackling segregation and supporting vulnerable groups.
• Democracy and services for citizens - selected by 33% of mayors: Mayors are expanding participation, improving transparency and delivering better public services.

For the second year in a row, budget constraints remain mayors’ top unexpected challenge, while they say bureaucracy and limited local autonomy continue to hold them back, delaying crucial action on housing, mobility, green infrastructure and innovation.

“As national leaders last week agreed a partial position on the next EU budget, the message for cities was mixed,” states Sobczak. “There are welcome signals on regions and partnership, but the overall direction still risks centralising decisions and sidelining the cities where Europe’s priorities are delivered. This is a missed opportunity to listen to local leaders and build on the European Parliament’s stronger push for guaranteed urban investment. Strengthening democracy means trusting and investing in the level of government closest to people.”

Looking ahead, 52% of mayors expect more direct EU funding for cities over the next decade. However, some warn of more centralised EU programmes, while others fear renationalisation, with national governments taking greater control over funding, regulation and planning.

For mayors, this tension is central to the future of local democracy. Centralisation risks weakening trust at a time when cities are expected to deliver on housing, climate, inclusion, safety and competitiveness.

The survey also shows that, as democratic values come under greater pressure, cities are becoming more vocal in defending them internationally. In 2026, influencing EU priorities, projects and processes is the leading focus of city diplomacy, selected by 51% of cities, up from 32% in 2023.

A majority of mayors also say they take public positions that may differ from those of their national governments when core values are at stake. The most common issues are human rights, democracy and the rule of law (53%), climate, energy and environment (45%), migration, asylum and inclusion (39%), and foreign conflicts, peace and humanitarian responses (31%).

“Cities are not trying to replace national governments,” says Sobczak. “But when democratic values come under pressure, mayors cannot stay silent. From our continued solidarity with Ekrem İmamoğlu, Mayor of Istanbul, to the concerns raised by city leaders in Budapest, Eurocities will continue to speak out whenever elected mayors face intimidation, political interference or attacks on their democratic mandate.”

Despite financial pressure, geopolitical uncertainty and growing social demands, mayors say they continued to deliver progress in 2025, including infrastructure and mobility projects, stronger civic engagement, climate action, housing, social inclusion and greater international cooperation.

Othe key findings from the survey include:

• Most mayors see EU enlargement as an opportunity: Over 70% of mayors say enlargement would benefit their city.
• Cities are more optimistic about reducing some inequalities than others: while cites expect income, wealth and housing gaps to increase, 45% of cities expect gaps between neighbourhoods to narrow.
• Deliberative democracy is becoming mainstream: 98% of mayors expect it to be used at least sometimes in future decision-making. 57% foresee it being used in a structured or regular way.
• Most mayors expect future urban growth to be compact, with development focused within the existing city fabric rather than through sprawl.
• International economic and business partnerships are rising on the city diplomacy agenda, selected by 40% of cities in 2026, up from 29% in 2023.

1. The fourth edition of the Eurocities Pulse Mayors Survey is based on research conducted among mayors from the Eurocities network. Between December 2025 and February 2026, mayors were invited to reply to an online survey combining open-ended and closed questions. This year’s survey contained the annual core questions on mayors’ main priorities, the support they expect from the EU or national governments, the main unexpected challenge they faced, and the achievement they are most proud of. The 2026 edition also included forward-looking sections on the future of the EU and cities, including EU-city relations, existential threats, enlargement, urbanisation, deliberative democracy, global risks and competitiveness, as well as two special sections on urban inequalities and poverty, and on city diplomacy and city networks. Closed questions were presented at aggregate level and, where relevant, by region. Open-ended responses were analysed, categorised and ranked.

2. The list of mayors that responded to the survey is available here. If you are interested in speaking with some of the mayors who took part, please contact Eurocities. On request, Eurocities can also provide insights on specific cities.

3. You can read the full Eurocities Pulse Mayors Survey 2026 online here: Eurocities Pulse: Mayors Survey - 2026 Monitor Eurocities

4. The Eurocities Pulse Mayors Survey is a major element of the Eurocities Monitor, which presents all the most interesting data and insights gathered throughout the year by Eurocities’ Brussels-based staff, and via input from our network of more than 6,000 city officials from all over Europe. The Eurocities Monitor therefore presents all the results of the Eurocities Pulse, as well as other information presented via guest essays. It is available online here: Home - 2026 Monitor Eurocities

5. Eurocities wants to make cities places where everyone can enjoy a good quality of life, is able to move around safely, access quality and inclusive public services and benefit from a healthy environment. We do this by networking more than 200 larger European cities, which together represent some 150 million people across 38 countries, and by gathering evidence of how policy making impacts on people to inspire other cities and EU decision makers. Connect with us at https://eurocities.eu or by following our LinkedIn, Instagram, BlueSky and Youtube accounts.

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