Executive summary

A new European Parliament and new set of European Commissioners bring with them new plans, and a new direction for the EU. This third edition of the Eurocities Pulse Mayors Survey aims to once again ‘take the pulse’ of mayors, gauging their perceptions of major topics on the agendas of European and local leaders. The survey is based on research conducted among mayors from the 218 member cities of the Eurocities network. Between December 2024 and February 2025, mayors were invited to reply to an online survey. This consisted of 9 open-ended and 13 closed questions on perceptions and challenges faced by cities across Europe, ranging from economic and political questions to the state of housing and public transport.

For the closed questions, the results are presented either at an aggregate level or in the specified disaggregated way, for example by region, and without further processing. For some of the questions, such as top priorities for 2025, we used open-ended questions to allow mayors to respond freely without predetermining their response.

To make sense of these responses, we further analysed, then categorised, and ranked them accordingly. For each part of the survey, we gave mayors space to leave additional comments, to further validate some of the assumptions we might otherwise have made from the results. In addition, we have received further input from other research partners on best practice.

New this year, we have adopted a format based on the successful Eurobarometer survey, which has been conducted regularly since 1974. Our hope is that by tying into this format of public opinion survey we can provide additional perspectives on European trends, stemming from mayors, over the coming years. In total this year, we received 86 responses from mayors of large cities across 26 countries. The responses offer a good representative sample of the political voice of mayors from major European cities on key issues.

What you will read in these pages is a selection of the main findings of the Eurocities Pulse Mayors Survey 2025. Along with our research partners, we plan to further analyse many of these data points to find new insights, and ways to present our findings, over the course of this year.

Climate action remains mayors’ top priority in 2025, with well over half of mayors selecting it for the third year in a row. Despite reduced political attention from the EU institutions, mayors are keen to continue implementing their actions related to both climate adaptation and climate mitigation.

In their responses, mayors highlight cities’ central role in leading climate action in many diverse ways, including enhancing biodiversity, energy efficient building renovation and improving air quality. Mayors also recognise the importance of working with business leaders and private industry to invest in key areas such as renewable energy and urban greening.

Jumping up into second place, from third last year, is affordable housing, with more than one in three mayors selecting it as a top priority. The growing prominence of housing among mayors top priorities has inspired one of our two special focus sections of this year’s edition, which you will find later in the analysis.

In terms of how the EU can best support mayors in achieving these priorities, while we received a range of suggestions, a recurring theme is the need for more direct EU funding to go to cities rather than passing through national or regional governments.

With discussions on the EU budget for 2028-2034 entering a crucial phase, mayors are working both nationally and at the EU level to ensure their experiences and ideas are considered.

In a different turn from last year, we asked mayors to identify a top unexpected challenge during the course of the year, as well as the achievement that they were most proud of.

Financial constraints and budgetary pressure were the most frequently cited challenges in 2024, with more than a third of mayors highlighting their unexpected impact. While 18% mentioned the housing crisis and rising costs of living. The ongoing impact of Russia’s war in Ukraine and global instability were also mentioned prominently.

Despite the unexpected challenges of 2024, mayors across Europe have demonstrated bold leadership in tackling local, national, and global issues. From innovation and sustainability to housing and mobility, city leaders have stepped up to deliver meaningful change. Their achievements highlight the power of city leadership in shaping Europe’s future and reinforce that cities are at the forefront of solutions.

Climate action and sustainable mobility are the areas where most mayors felt proud of the difference they have made since last year. Many mayors have led efforts to decarbonise their economies, expand public transport, and invest in clean energy.

The new Eurocities barometer section highlights that while mayors have a high level of trust in EU institutions, national governments receive their lowest scores on trust. Lack of trust in central government is a trend that is widespread across Europe, directly linked with a centralisation trend and a perception of lost autonomy from local governments.

When asked about cooperation with other levels of government over the past 10 years, nearly seven in ten mayors across Europe report an improvement in multi-level cooperation, reflecting a growing recognition of the importance of collaborative governance to address urban challenges.

A guest essay by Raffaele Fitto, Executive Vice-President for Cohesion and Reforms at the European Commission, explains some of his work to ensure EU policies reflect the territorial dimension and address urban needs directly.

A further submission by Kata Tüttő, President of the European Committee of the Regions, explains that Europe’s strength lies in empowering local leadership and maintaining a well-functioning Cohesion Policy to ensure stability, resilience, and unity from the ground up.

In the first of two special sections, based on more targeted questions from this year’s Eurocities Pulse Mayors Survey, we look at the growing importance of sustainable mobility and public transport in our cities.

In this section, the single biggest priority for mayors is expanding public transport networks and services, with 60% of mayors ranking it among their top three priorities.

Alongside expansion, ensuring public transport remains accessible and affordable is a major concern for cities, ranking as the second-highest priority. As mentioned in their top challenges, cities are increasingly struggling to balance rising operational costs with the need to keep fares low. As outlined by Charlotte Halpern of Sciences Po, this requires empowering cities with better governance frameworks, funding, and autonomy, as technological solutions alone are not enough to meet the EU’s climate targets.

In the second special section, we pick up on the issue that mayors indicate has grown the most among their top priorities since we started this survey three years ago: housing. The housing crisis is increasingly prevalent in cities across our continent, with over one in three mayors (39%) now reporting that housing costs are unaffordable.

Housing shortages, rising rents and affordability issues are growing year on year, leading to a real emergency in many cities, deepening social inequalities and forcing cities to rethink their policies.

Matthew Baldwin, Head of the Housing Task Force of the European Commission, picks up on this pressing issue in a guest contribution that suggests affordable, accessible, and sustainable housing is a shared European responsibility essential for social inclusion, economic stability, and community wellbeing.