Speaking at the conference “Paths to follow” in Valongo (Portugal) on 22 October 2019, Bryony Rudkin, the Congress Thematic Spokesperson on the European Local Democracy Week (ELDW), congratulated the commitment of the city of Valongo “one of the most inspiring partners of the ELDW”.
“Valongo is a great example of what can be done to boost citizen participation. Not only are you carrying out actions aimed at involving citizens, such as the youth budget, but you have also decided to improve local transparency” underlined Ms. Rudkin. She also welcomed the initiative “Weeks of public responsibility”, which allows the local government to share its activities and data and discuss these with the citizens.
“The theme of the 2019 and 2020 editions of the ELDW, ‘Local Democracy: Territories of Trust’, is a key topic in all our cities and regions. European societies are facing a growing loss of confidence in democratic institutions and politicians” declared the Congress spokesperson, emphasising the importance of open government, which encourages more responsible and inclusive decision-making, thus reducing the risk of corruption in the local political arena.
“Many sustainable, innovative and fair solutions to the current democratic and institutional crisis are available and within our grasp” she underlined. “I am convinced that the bond of trust between citizens and political representatives that is sometimes broken can be restored and even strengthened at the local level” she concluded.
European Local Democracy Week is a successful pan-European initiative since its launch in 2007. Its aim is to foster dialogue between community residents and public authorities, by bringing them together in joint activities to hear each other’s concerns. The purpose to achieve is to mutually decide on priorities for the community, to find equitable, sustainable and efficient solutions for local problems.
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