“Involving citizens at local level is crucial if we want to revive trust in democratic institutions and foster the development of peaceful and stable neighbourhoods within our society,” stressed Congress Vice-President and Spokesperson on the European Local Democracy Week (ELDW) Konstantinos Koukas (Greece, EPP/CCE) speaking at the opening of the Annual Conference of the International Observatory on Participatory Democracy (OIDP) in Cordoba (Argentina) on 21 May 2025.
“Cities and regions are not just administrative units; they are the places where values, human dignity, equality, inclusiveness, and dialogue can best take tangible form in everyday life,” he said, adding that “democracy is about people and people need to feel that they are considered and taken into account on decisions concerning their lives.” In this regard, he highlighted the importance of new digital tools to promote the participation of citizens. “Digitalisation is opening doors for greater civic participation, but it must involve all citizens equally and be shared with all citizens, not leaving anybody behind. Smart cities must be inclusive cities," underlined the Vice-President.
He further presented the European Local Democracy Week – a Congress initiative that invites municipalities, regions, national associations of local and regional authorities and other stakeholders across Europe to open their doors to citizens in their communities and engage them in decision making in the field, in real terms. Vice-President Koukas praised the OIDP for giving local projects of citizen participation visibility worldwide, and expressed hope for developing future co-operation between the Congress and the Observatory.
The International Observatory on Participatory Democracy (OIDP) is an international network open to all cities and organisations wishing to learn about, exchange and implement experiences in participatory democracy at local level. The OIDP works in collaboration with United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG).
