During his exchange of views with the Committee of Ministers on 10 September 2025, Congress President Marc Cools presented Congress action with regard to Türkiye, Ukraine, Georgia, youth participation and contribution to the New Democratic Pact for Europe.
The President highlighted Congress concerns about the situation of local democracy in Türkiye, against the background of massive dismissals and detention of opposition mayors, as well the arrest and pre-trial detention of the Congress youth delegate and human rights defender, Enes Hocaoğulları, who was released on 8 September after one month in prison for his intervention at the Congress plenary session in March. Referring to the Committee of Ministers’ Recommendation 11 of 2018 on the protection and promotion of civil society space in Europe, the President stressed that persecuting young people for exercising their right to free expression had a chilling effect on democracy and expressed hope that justice will prevail on 23 February 2026 when the youth delegate’s trial will resume.
President Cools also highlighted the continued Congress support to Ukraine, in particular with regard to the new concept of decentralisation reform, the division of competences between different levels of governance and the transition from military to civilian administration, as well as promotion of deliberative democracy through the organisation of citizens’ assemblies in Kyiv, Lviv and Rivne.
He pointed out that Congress calls to restore minimum criteria for holding free and fair local elections in Georgia remained unanswered and that the Congress was not invited to observe these elections on 4 October; however, the Congress will carry out a fact-finding visit at the end of September, and continues to implement a co-operation project focusing on human rights at local level under the Council of Europe Action Plan for Georgia.
President Cools further referred to the fruitful co-operation between the Congress and the Council of Europe’s Joint Committee on Youth in drawing up a new revision of the European Charter on youth participation in local and regional life, which is expected to strengthen the position and influence of young people in democratic processes. He concluded by highlighting the importance of Congress co-operation projects in member states, implemented by the Centre of Expertise for Multilevel Governance, and outlined the Congress’ contribution to the New Democratic Pact for Europe, including forthcoming conferences on deliberative democracy, on foreign interference in elections – in co-operation with the Parliamentary Assembly and the Venice Commission – as well as consultations with European associations of local and regional authorities on learning, protecting and innovating democracy.
