The event, under the slogan ‘The Advancement of Rural Areas’, featured representatives from municipalism, public administrations, associations, companies, entrepreneurs, Rural Development Group leaders, analysts, and students. Reflections were made on the demographic challenge and the need to adapt regulatory and financial frameworks to the reality of small municipalities to foster their development.
Depopulation, the future of LEADER, the opportunities offered by rural areas, and the role of Rural Development Groups were central themes. The event was organized by the Castilla-La Mancha Network of Rural Development (RECAMDER) and the five Rural Development Groups of the province of Guadalajara, with support from the Regional Government of Castilla-La Mancha and the Provincial Council of Guadalajara.
Jesús Ortega, president of RECAMDER, highlighted the significant interest the Forum generated, with participants from 34 provinces and 12 autonomous communities. He emphasized the event's crucial timing for the European Union's financial framework for 2028-2034, stating that ‘keeping rural areas alive is and must be a priority’.
The program included debate panels on ‘The Sigüenza Manifesto: What has been achieved and what remains to be done? The Castilla-La Mancha Depopulation Law’, featuring figures such as José Luis Martínez Guijarro, First Vice-President of the Regional Government of Castilla-La Mancha, and Julián Martínez Lizán, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, and Rural Development.
Other panels addressed ‘The Future of Rural Areas: A World of Possibilities’ and ‘The Statute of Small Municipalities: An Imperative Need’. These featured mayors, presidents of provincial councils, and representatives of rural development groups from various provinces, including José Luis Vega, president of the Provincial Council of Guadalajara, and María Jesús Merino, mayor of Sigüenza.
Journalist Rosa San Millán, director of GuadaTV Media, moderated the panels and relayed questions from the audience, concluding the forum with the presentation of its findings and an official closing ceremony.
