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The ability for young people to build their future without being forced to leave their homeland is poised to become a new objective of European policies. This is the principle behind the so-called “right to stay,” a strategy that the European Commission intends to present by the end of 2026 or, at the latest, in early 2027. The initiative aims to ensure a genuine choice between staying and moving, overcoming those economic and territorial conditions that transform mobility into a necessity rather than an option. Raffaele Fitto, Vice President of the European Commission with responsibility for Cohesion and Reforms, outlined some elements of the initiative over the summer, specifically on August 24th at the Rimini Meeting and on August 27th in Pizzo, Calabria, as part of the third edition of the L’orodicalabria association’s Summer School. On both occasions, the desire to build a comprehensive strategy capable of coordinating different European policies emerged.
THE DEMOGRAPHIC QUESTION AND TERRITORIAL DEPOPULATION
The starting point of the proposal is the European demographic crisis, which Fitto considers a structural phenomenon that institutions must address. Depopulation primarily affects inland, rural, and mountainous areas and small islands, while population, services, and economic activities tend to progressively concentrate in large urban centers. This territorial polarization has consequences beyond demographics. A reduction in the resident population can weaken the economic and social fabric of communities, reduce the availability of services, and compromise the ability of some regions to fully participate in the dynamics of the single market. According to Fitto, the risk is that tens of millions of European citizens living in inland areas will remain marginalized by this process.
THE RIGHT TO STAY AS A CHOICE, NOT A CONSTRAINT
In this framework, the “right to stay” is not conceived as an incentive to impede mobility. Intra-EU mobility is, in fact, a consolidated component of the European project. Rather, the objective is to create the conditions for the decision to leave to be truly free and not determined by the lack of alternatives. The strategy should therefore primarily support younger generations, offering professional opportunities, services, and favorable conditions to those who wish to remain in their hometown, but also to those who intend to return after a period spent elsewhere. The central principle is therefore that of freedom of choice: staying should not become an obligation, just as leaving should not be an inevitable consequence of a lack of prospects.
AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO TERRITORIAL POLICIES
According to the approach anticipated by Fitto, the complexity of the phenomenon makes any isolated intervention insufficient. The future strategy must connect different tools and policies, adapting them to the specific characteristics of each region. Cohesion policy must therefore interact with sectors such as agriculture, tourism, transport, fisheries, and the blue economy. Integration between these dimensions should allow for the simultaneous addressing of the various causes of depopulation and strengthening the economic and social attractiveness of the most vulnerable areas. The goal is not simply to retain the resident population, but to create development conditions capable of offering future generations concrete prospects.
CONNECTION WITH THE SINGLE MARKET AND COHESION
The proposal also fits into the debate on strengthening the European internal market. Fitto explicitly linked the right to remain to the need to fully include internal areas in the functioning of the single market. Creating synergies between territories and policies is considered essential to prevent the concentration of economic activity in large cities from leading to the growing exclusion of peripheral communities. The strategy is also linked to the report on the future of the single market prepared by former Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta. According to Fitto, that document is now an integral part of the European Commission’s guidelines and has become a policy priority for the executive led by Ursula von der Leyen. The President also entrusted Fitto with the task of developing the final version of the “right to stay” strategy.
FROM DEMOGRAPHIC EMERGENCY TO EUROPEAN POLICY
The “right to stay” thus presents itself as a project that begins with a demographic issue and takes on a broader territorial policy dimension. Countering depopulation means addressing economic opportunities, services, mobility, and the prospects offered to younger generations. The challenge identified by the Commission is to create the conditions for territories to return to being places in which to live, work, and plan for the future. From this perspective, the right to remain is not simply a policy against youth emigration, but an attempt to reduce territorial imbalances and foster more inclusive European development. The strategy expected between the end of 2026 and the beginning of 2027 will therefore be called upon to translate this principle into concrete tools, coordinating different policies and adapting them to the specificities of local communities.