Strengthening innovative democracy in South-East Europe

The project “Strengthening innovative democracy in South-East Europe” aims to enhance local democracy and foster more inclusive local governments across Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. It focuses on strengthening internal capacities and improving legal frameworks to effectively embed deliberative processes, thus reinforcing representative democracy.

Building on the previous Council of Europe project “Promoting deliberative democracy and innovative approaches to citizen participation in South-East Europe”, the project responds to evolving democratic and governance challenges faced by local authorities in South-East Europe. It aligns with the Reykjavik Principles for Democracy, the Council of Europe recommendation on deliberative democracy and the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities’ recommendation on the use of deliberative methods in European municipalities and regions, and contributes to advancing the New Democratic Pact for Europe. The project is implemented by the Centre of Expertise for Multilevel Governance at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe.

* All references to Kosovo, whether the territory, institutions or population, in this text shall be understood in full compliance with United Nations' Security Council Resolution 1244 and without prejudice to the status of Kosovo.

What are the goals and objectives of the action?

The primary focus will be on enhancing the capacities of local authorities and their associations across South-East Europe to implement innovative decision-making processes.

In particular, the project supports:

Developing capacities and resources of local authorities to effectively organise and implement deliberative and participatory processes;
Enhancing legal framework for deliberative processes in line with Council of Europe standards.

Funding: The total budget of the action is € 600 000. The project is implemented with the financial support of Germany.
Duration: 1 January 2026 - 31 December 2027

Who benefits from this project?

The project targets various groups to ensure widespread impact and sustainable democratic development. Namely:

Local authorities across South-East Europe;
Associations of local authorities in South-East Europe;
Civil society, academic community, media.

How does project work?

The project combines capacity-development, technical assistance and financial support to embed innovative democracy into local governance practices.

Key areas of support include:

Establishing a regional pool of facilitators of citizens’ assemblies;
Supporting local authorities to pilot citizens’ assemblies;
Providing a platform for peer learning and exchanges among local authorities and associations in South-East Europe;
Developing capacities of local authorities in organising deliberative processes;
Enhancing the legal framework to embed deliberative processes at local level.

The project is carried out in co-operation with Network of Associations of Local Authorities in South-East Europe (NALAS).

What do we expect to achieve?

As the result of the project, rights-holders in South-East Europe will benefit from enhanced local democracy and more transparent and inclusive public institutions.

In particular:

Local authorities and their associations adopt more inclusive and innovative governance practices, aligning with principles of good democratic governance and Council of Europe standards;
A regional pool of trained citizens’ assembly facilitators is established and operational, enabling successful citizen assemblies in local authorities across South-East Europe; and
Local authorities and their associations strengthen their capacity to enhance legal frameworks for deliberative processes, contributing to improvements in the local government system in line with Council of Europe recommendations.