On 19 October 2017, during its 33rd Session in Strasbourg (France), the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe held a current affairs debate on the situation in Catalonia (Spain). The President of the Congress, Gudrun MOSLER-TÖRNSTRÖM, introduced the debate, pointing out that “the only feasible way forward in any modern democracy is calm political dialogue”. Many Congress members stressed that local and regional governance must develop in compliance with the rule of law, which ensures democratic checks and balances. Everyone must play by the rules, starting with the Constitution, without which we cannot imagine true decentralisation. Finally, the Congress President recalled that “A modern and decentralised democracy can only develop in a climate of mutual trust."
Mediabox interview with Gunn Marit HELGESEN
