Executive summary

Europe has entered a new political cycle, with major decisions ahead on the next long-term EU budget, cohesion policy, competitiveness, housing, democracy, security, social fairness and Europe’s role in the world. These debates may be shaped in Brussels and national capitals, but their consequences are felt directly in cities. For mayors, they influence investment, democratic life, inequalities, local economies and responses to global instability.

Against this background, the fourth edition of the Eurocities Pulse Mayors Survey once again takes the pulse of mayors across Europe. In 2026, mayors responded to open and closed questions on the main issues shaping urban leadership: climate action, housing, democracy, public services, social inclusion, city diplomacy, EU–city relations, poverty, inequality, urban growth, global risks and the future of local economies. Closed questions are presented at aggregate level and, where relevant, by region. Open-ended responses were analysed, categorised and ranked.

As in previous editions, the survey combines quantitative results with qualitative insights from city leaders. This year, it also includes contributions from Commissioner McGrath on democracy and from Pol Morillas, Director of CIDOB, on city diplomacy. Both contributions connect directly with this year’s findings: the growing pressure on local democracy, and the growing role of cities as European and international actors.

The findings show mayors governing in a period of growing complexity. Climate action, housing, democracy, inclusion, competitiveness and international cooperation are no longer separate agendas. They are part of the same objective: keeping cities liveable, fair and resilient in a more uncertain Europe.

Climate action remains mayors’ top priority in 2026, selected by 44% of mayors among their key priorities. Yet the result also signals a shift. The share of mayors selecting climate action as their single top priority has fallen, while housing, democracy, infrastructure and social inclusion have gained prominence. Even so, climate action remains the leading priority for the third consecutive year when looking at mayors’ top three priorities overall. Mayors continue to stress the need to act on both mitigation and adaptation, from urban greening and renovation to biodiversity, air quality, flood protection and cooling strategies.

Affordable housing remains firmly at the top of the urban agenda. It ranks second overall, selected by 39% of respondents, and becomes the highest-ranked issue when looking only at mayors’ number one priority. Housing has moved from being a social policy concern to one of the defining questions of urban leadership in Europe. Mayors describe it as the foundation for social stability, economic opportunity and climate action. This also links to Europe’s wider economic future: mayors identify housing retrofitting and heat decarbonisation supply chains as the leading sectors likely to drive jobs and inclusive growth over the next decade, selected by 42% of respondents.

Democracy and services for citizens rise sharply in this year’s survey, reflecting concern about democratic backsliding, polarisation, disinformation, declining trust and the ability of public institutions to deliver. When asked about existential threats to the EU, mayors identify rule of law backsliding as the leading concern, cited by 36% of respondents, followed by geopolitical shocks and war at 35%. Disinformation and economic stagnation are also prominent concerns, each cited by 26% of mayors. For city leaders, these risks affect local services, civic space, public trust, elections, social cohesion and long-term planning.

The pressure on local democracy is also visible in the findings on online harms. Four in five mayors report direct exposure to online violence, harassment or disinformation, with one in three saying this happens frequently. At the same time, most mayors expect deliberative democracy to play a continued role in municipal decision-making over the next decade.

Financial constraints and budgetary pressures remain the most frequently cited unexpected challenge faced by mayors in 2025. More than 30% identify it as a major unexpected challenge, confirming that fiscal pressure is no longer a short-term disruption but a structural issue for cities. Inflation, rising service costs, unstable national transfers and lower-than-expected revenues have forced many cities to delay or scale back investment. Bureaucracy and governance barriers are another recurring challenge.

Looking ahead, mayors expect the relationship between the EU and cities to enter a decisive decade. More than half foresee a stronger and more direct relationship with the EU, including more direct funding, dedicated local investment envelopes and a stronger urban dimension in EU programmes. As negotiations on the next EU budget for 2028–2034 move forward, mayors want future investment frameworks to better reflect urban realities, while warning against excessive centralisation or renationalisation.

A special section on urban poverty and inequality brings a different reading to the same pressure points. When asked how inequality gaps are likely to evolve over the next decade, mayors report being most concerned about income, wealth and housing gaps. They are instead more optimistic about gaps where local action can have a more direct impact, such as digital access, skills and neighbourhood inclusion.

Housing affordability stands out as the biggest concern. More than half of cities expect this gap to widen, while only 29% expect it to narrow. The pattern is similar for wealth and income where respondents expect the gap to widen for 53% and 50% respectively. By contrast, 46% of cities expect the digital access and skills gap to narrow, and 45% expect spatial gaps between neighbourhoods to reduce.

Mayors’ concerns inform their anti-poverty priorities. Affordable and social housing, combined with homelessness prevention measures such as Housing First, sit at the top – selected by 61% of mayors. Skills, employability and access to quality jobs come second (47%), followed by early childcare, childhood support and inclusive education (42%). Cities also point to barriers to scale: fragmented funding, insufficient affordable housing, high land costs and co-financing requirements.

This year’s survey also shows that mayors are becoming more active and strategic in international affairs. City diplomacy is shifting from broad recognition to practical influence. In 2026, influencing and contributing to EU priorities, projects and processes becomes the leading focus of city diplomacy, selected by 51% of cities, up from 32% in 2023. Cooperation with other cities on climate neutrality remains important (41%), while international economic and business partnerships rise to 40%.

Cities are also finding their own voice on international issues. Most mayors (57%) report taking public positions that may differ from their national governments. They do so primarily when their values are at stake. Human rights, democracy and the rule of law are cited by 53%, followed by climate, energy and environment (45%), migration, asylum and inclusion (39%), and foreign conflicts, peace and humanitarian response (31%).

Looking to the future, around seven in ten mayors expect their cities to grow through densification, reuse of existing spaces, and more integrated neighbourhoods, including 15‑minute neighbourhoods. On EU enlargement, 70% of mayors see enlargement as an opportunity for their municipality, linking it to cross-border cooperation, economic links, Ukraine’s long-term recovery and integration, and a more secure and democratic Europe.

Taken together, the Eurocities Pulse Mayors Survey 2026 shows mayors acting on several fronts at once: keeping climate action high on the agenda, responding to the housing emergency, defending local democracy, tackling poverty and inequality, managing fiscal pressure, and asserting a stronger voice in European and international affairs. They are delivering under pressure.

Cities are ready to help Europe meet its biggest challenges, but successful delivery depends on investment, trust, cooperation and on cities being fully involved in shaping solutions that reflect local realities. As Europe prepares for the next EU budget and a new decade of transformation, mayors remind the EU that Europe will be decided not only in Brussels or national capitals, but in its cities.