News 2026
Cities and regions must move now to guarantee the freedom of expression and assembly of LGBTI people by law – and this is the way to do it
“Local and regional authorities must act to ensure the rights of LGBTI people by law, even in the face of powerful opposition. This report makes clear how they should do it – no ifs, buts or maybes”, said Helen Belcher (United Kingdom, ILDG), co-rapporteur for the report “Free to speak, free to...
Council of Europe Congress reaffirms its support for Ukraine’s recovery, reconstruction and decentralisation reforms
During its 51st session in Strasbourg, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe adopted on 28 October 2026 a Declaration entitled “Intensifying attacks of the Russian Federation against Ukraine”, presented by Cecilia Dalman Eek (Sweden, SOC/G/PD) and Mihkel Juhkami...
Congress to strengthen partnership with local authorities in South-East Europe
On 28 October 2026, Congress President Gunn Marit Helgesen and Emil Drăghici, President of the Networks of Associations of Local Authorities of South-East Europe (NALAS), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the margins of the Congress 51st session. The agreement aims to strengthen local...
Pavel Branda: “Cross-border cooperation is Europe in action!”
Whether at European Union level or within the framework of Greater Europe, cross-border cooperation is one of the great successes of European integration. But the models still have room for improvement, as demonstrated by a debate without a vote organised on 28 October by the Congress’s Chamber...
Congress to support the Carpathian Integration Initiative
“The Carpathian Integration Initiative was launched to bring eight countries together so that our regions and communities can develop coordinated solutions instead of eight different responses to the same problem,” underlined Vitalii Bezghin, Minister for Communities, Territories and Internally...
Council of Europe’s smallest States: Local Self-Government Charter applies equally to all while respecting diverse institutional contexts, says Congress
Each of the smallest States of the Council of Europe – Andorra, Liechtenstein, Malta, Monaco and San Marino – has ratified the European Charter of Local Self-Government which is legally binding on them. While monitoring of the Charter’s implementation takes account of diverse national contexts,...
Lionel Beffre, Minister for the Interior of Monaco: “Local elected representatives are the first point of contact for 700 million Europeans”
Lionel Beffre, Monaco’s Minister of the Interior, addressed the 51st session of the Congress on 28 October on behalf of Monaco’s chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. In his speech, Minister Lionel Beffre emphasised the importance of local and regional authorities...
Regional exodus versus right to stay: Congress calls for local and regional action to create new opportunities for rural communities
“Most people don’t leave rural areas because they prefer to, but because they have to – however, rural exodus is not inevitable. By combining local knowledge and leadership with strong support from higher levels of government, we can create new opportunities for rural regions,” stated...
Congress President reaffirms support for a democratic Belarus during meeting with new delegation
On 27 October 2026, Congress President Gunn Marit Helgesen and Rapporteur for a democratic Belarus Belinda Gottardi (Italy, SOC/G/PD) met with the new delegation of the Belarusian Democratic Forces to the Congress, on the occasion of their participation in the Congress 51st plenary session. The...
Council of Europe Congress calls for stronger and better funded local democracy in Albania
In a recommendation adopted today at its 51st plenary session, the Council of Europe’s Congress of Local and Regional Authorities calls on Albania to strengthen local self-government, ensure meaningful public participation in decisions affecting local communities and provide municipalities with...
New report calls for a common European definition, systematic attendance recording and early intervention to protect young people’s life chances
Congress votes on plans to defuse Europe’s “ticking timebomb” of school absenteeism
The Congress voted today on a report calling for urgent action to reverse heightened levels of school absenteeism and safeguard young people’s right to education. The report, Missing out: tackling school absenteeism in Europe’s communities, warns that absenteeism has risen substantially in many...
New Democratic Pact for Europe: Council of Europe Congress adopts early-warning instruments against democratic backsliding at local and regional level
On the first day of its 51st session in Strasbourg, 27 October, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe adopted several early-warning instruments against democratic backsliding at local and regional level, as its contribution to the Council of Europe’s New...
Council of Europe Secretary General exchanges with Congress members on threats to democratic society
Local democracy is Europe’s early warning system – Alain Berset
Democratic security as a response to street protests across Europe, the young driving change, reforming the Council of Europe to make it fit for today’s challenges, and the key role of local authorities in detecting and countering democratic backsliding were among the main themes of today’s...
Council of Europe Congress: Coastal communities must plan now for retreat from coastlines, or face higher costs later
Europe needs to prepare now for the planned relocation of homes, businesses and infrastructure from coastlines increasingly exposed to erosion, underlined the Council of Europe’s Congress of Local and Regional Authorities in a resolution and a recommendation adopted today during its 51st session...
Local democracy is crucial for rebuilding trust: Congress session opens in Strasbourg
“Across Europe, we are witnessing growing social tensions and unrest in many of our cities. We cannot ignore the reasons and concerns that fuel much of this unrest,” stressed Congress President Gunn Marit Helgesen at the opening of the 51st session, in Strasbourg on 27 October 2026. “The rising...
Council of Europe Congress Bureau: Peaceful protests should be supported, calls for social rights should be heard
The Bureau of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, meeting in Strasbourg on Monday 26 October 2026, on the eve of the Congress 51st session (27-29 October), has adopted the following statement: “The Bureau of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of...
Georgia: Congress Rapporteurs warn of grave threat to local democracy as request to ban major opposition parties under review
Anders Knape (Sweden, EPP/CCE) and Urs Janett (Switzerland, ILDG), Congress co-Rapporteurs on the situation of local democracy in Georgia, have made the following statement: “The Constitutional Court of Georgia’s examination of a request by members of the ruling party to ban five major opposition...
Congress Vice-President visits Lviv in support of local democracy and metropolitan governance in Ukraine
Congress Vice-President Cecilia Dalman Eek (Sweden, SOC/G/PD) visited Lviv on 22 October 2026 to reaffirm support for Ukraine’s decentralisation reform, metropolitan governance and intermunicipal co-operation. She met Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi, addressed the 3rd International Forum of...
Congress 51st session: Resilience of Kherson, women’s political participation in Ukraine, safety of journalists and youth participation among side events
The 51st Congress session (Strasbourg, 27-29 October 2026) features a number of side events, including a presentation of the book “Unbreakable Kherson” on wartime resilience developed from the region’s experience of occupation, liberation and ongoing attacks, to take place on Wednesday 28 October...
Congress 51st session: Financing Ukraine’s recovery, early warning against democratic backsliding, LGBTI rights, coastal erosion and school absenteeism on the agenda
The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe will hold its 51st session from 27 to 29 October 2026 in Strasbourg, France. It will adopt Congress priorities for 2026-2031 and will debate early-warning instruments against democratic backsliding at local and regional...
