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Back Former Congress presidents exchange views with the current Bureau

“Ever since the Congress was established in its current form in 1994, we have not stopped improving our efficiency and adapting our policies to the needs of the member States of the Council of Europe”, stated Anders Knape, President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, at the “Seminar on the Congress’ history, achievements and prospects”. The seminar, which was held on 1 October in Strasbourg on the occasion of the celebrations for the 70th anniversary of the Council of Europe, brought together former Congress presidents, a former Secretary General and the current Bureau members.

The President presented the main activities of the Congress, in particular in the field of co-operation, monitoring of the European Charter of Local Self-Government and observation of local and regional elections. The participants were then invited to share their views on the Congress’ achievements, the challenges local and regional authorities are facing today and their expectations for the future.

“In order to tackle today’s socio-political issues, we should start again from the bottom, that is the local level, and push forward in the co-operation between all levels of governance”, underlined Giovanni Di Stasi, President from 2004 to 2006. His successor Halvdan Skard added that territorial democracy plays an essential role in building a brighter future for Europe, therefore it is fundamental for local and regional authorities to be recognised as “equal partners” by their national counterparts.

“Our achievements must motivate us to intensify our action. The challenges we are confronted with are ever-changing, so we must always be able to respond to them”, stressed Gudrun Mosler-Törnström, President from 2016 to 2018. “The Congress is a precious source of know-how that we have to exploit at its fullest, especially to rejuvenate the political scene. Actions in the field of youth must be one of our main focuses because they are the legacy we leave to those that will one day follow in our footsteps”, she concluded.

At the end of the seminar, the former Presidents addressed a declaration to the new Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejčinović Burić, encouraging her to give the Congress the political priority it deserves and the resources it needs to fulfil its mission.

The participants also followed the speech delivered by the President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron to the Parliamentary Assembly and the ceremony for the 70th anniversary of the Council of Europe at the Strasbourg Opera House.