The Renew Europe Group in the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) is proud to announce the election of local leader from Cork County (Ireland) Gillian Coughlan as the new Chair of the CoR Working Group Kosovo and the election of Pirovac (Croatia) Mayor Ivan Gulam as the new Co-Chair of the CoR Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) North Macedonia.
Gillian Coughlan (Ireland, Fianna Fáil) has been elected Chair of the CoR Working Group on Relations with Kosovo. The Working Group plays a vital role in enhancing institutional cooperation and dialogue between the EU’s local and regional authorities and their counterparts in Kosovo. As Chair, Gillian Coughlan will lead efforts to promote good governance, local democracy, and socio-economic development through peer-to-peer exchange and engagement.
“Local leadership can heal division. As former Mayor of Cork County I’ve seen it in Ireland’s journey from conflict to peace. Mayors became symbols of unity, building trust through shared purpose and peace from the ground up. The challenges in Kosovo are real, but so is the power to heal and lead ahead. Let’s stand together, lead calmly, and prove that peace built locally is peace that lasts for generations.” – Gillian Coughlan at the inaugural meeting of the WG Kosovo, 27 May 2025
Ivan Gulam (Croatia, Focus) has been elected Co-Chair of the CoR Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) with North Macedonia. The JCC is a formal body that brings together local and regional representatives from both the EU and North Macedonia to support the country’s EU accession path. Ivan Gulam’s leadership continues the legacy left behind by the previous Chair from our Group, Jasna Gabrič, and will help strengthen ties and share best practices between local authorities on both sides.
“My country, Croatia, was the last to join the European Union. This is one of the reasons I accepted the nomination for Co-Chairmanship of this JCC – to share our experience with you. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has made it unmistakably clear that EU enlargement is a geostrategic necessity for Europe. It has reinvigorated the enlargement process, but for countries like North Macedonia, which have been waiting far too long, we must also confront growing pessimism and disillusionment, while staying committed to implementing necessary reforms.” – Ivan Gulam at the inaugural meeting of the JCC North Macedonia, 27 May 2025
Both appointments reaffirm liberals’ and democrats’ strong commitment to EU enlargement by fostering European partnerships and bringing local and regional authorities closer together on the path to EU integration.
For more information on our work on enlargement, click here.
