News 2023
Local and regional democracy in Romania: Congress rapporteurs welcome plans for the ratification of the Additional Protocol to the Charter
Congress of Local and Regional Authorities rapporteurs March Cools and David Eray have welcomed the announcement by Attila-Zoltán Cseke, Minister for Development, Public Works and Administration of Romania, that the country will ratify the Additional Protocol to the European Charter of Local...
44th Session, Day 1: Ukraine, 4th Summit in Reykjavik, observation of elections in Berlin
In his communication at the opening of the 44th session on 21 March in Strasbourg, the President Verbeek deplored the outrageous war of aggression that is still hitting Ukraine after more than one year. The Congress members unanimously adopted a Declaration on the Russian Federation’s war against...
Cantonal elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Congress welcomes generally peaceful and well organised elections but highlights some areas for improvement
At its 44th Plenary Session, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe today adopted a report following a mission carried out by a 15-member delegation to observe the Cantonal elections held on 2 October 2022 in Bosnia and Herzegovina. On the Election Day, nine teams...
Congress recommendation on Reykjavik Summit: Local and regional authorities contribute to embedding democracy and human rights at grassroots level
The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities adopted on 22 March 2023 its recommendation on “the future of the Council of Europe and the role of the Congress therein” as contribution to the Council of Europe Summit to be held in Reykjavik on 16 and 17 May. The recommendation calls on Heads of...
Local elections in Slovenia: Calm, inclusive and well-organised, but too many mayors re-elected without competition
The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe today adopted a recommendation following the visit of a 19-member delegation to the Republic of Slovenia to observe the local elections held on Sunday 20 November 2022. On election day, eight Congress teams were deployed to...
Repeat elections in Berlin: Congress praises professionally run polls but recommends standardisation of election day procedures
At its 44th plenary session, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe today adopted a recommendation following the visit by a 14‑member delegation to Berlin to observe the repeat elections held there on 12 February 2023. On Election day, six Congress teams visited...
War in Ukraine: Congress adopts a strong declaration
The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe unanimously adopted on 21 March 2023 a Declaration to mark the one-year anniversary of Russia’s war against Ukraine, presented by the Congress President and Rapporteur on The Russian Federation’s war against Ukraine, Leendert...
Congress reiterates support to Mayor of Istanbul
Congress President of the Chamber of Local Authorities, Bernd Vöhringer, and Congress Secretary General, Mathieu Mori, met with Mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, on 15 March 2023. The meeting was an opportunity to re-affirm the Congress solidarity with Mayor Imamoglu following the prison...
Congress at the NALAS General Assembly in Istanbul: Resilience of local authorities facing natural disasters
On 15 March 2023, the President of the Congress Chamber of Local Authorities Bernd Vöhringer and the Congress Secretary General Mathieu Mori participated in the 18th General Assembly of the Network of Associations of Local Authorities in Southeast of Europe (NALAS) hosted in Istanbul, Turkiye....
Congress President expresses concern about dissolution of local councils in Tunisia
The President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, Leendert Verbeek, has expressed grave concern about the decision of the President of the Republic of Tunisia, Kais Saed, to dissolve elected local councils. "The decision to dissolve elected councils...
International Women’s Day: Women’s resilience essential to local and regional recovery policies
Congress Spokesperson on Gender Equality Eirini Dourou (Greece, SOC/G/PD) called for recognition of women's courage in crisis situations and made the following statement: "Europe’s communities have faced and are continuing to face a myriad of crises. Local and regional authorities have to respond...
Congress monitored the application of the European Charter of Local Self-Government in France
A delegation of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, composed of the rapporteurs on local and regional democracy Bryony Rudkin (United Kingdom, SOC/G/PD) and Matija Kovac (Serbia, EPP/CCE) carried out the first part of a monitoring visit in France from 7 to 9 March 2023 to assess the...
Leendert Verbeek calls for strengthening the two political assemblies of the Council of Europe
"The threats and challenges we face today affect all our societies without exception and all levels of governance," announced Congress President Leendert Verbeek at the meeting of the Standing Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) held on 2 and 3 March in the...
Congress helps Ukraine develop local deliberative democracy
“Deliberative democracy is a method to further promote citizen participation, build trust and enhance the health of our democracies”, highlighted the Chair of the Governance Committee of the Congress, Jelena Drenjanin (Sweden, EPP/CCE), addressing some 100 participants during the event aimed at...
Congress’ continuing support to Bosnia and Herzegovina on the road to deliberative democracy
The cities of Banja Luka and Mostar were granted support by the Congress to commission citizens’ assemblies in 2023, thereby contributing to keeping Bosnia and Herzegovina at the vanguard of deliberative democracy in the South-East of Europe. The Congress pursues its efforts in promoting...
European Local Democracy Week: 276 events in 2022, what’s next in 2023?
The Annual Coordination Meeting of the European Local Democracy Week (ELDW) was held in person on Tuesday 28 February 2023 in Strasbourg, France. It brought together local representatives from Council of Europe member states, coming from municipalities that have taken an active part in this...
44th Congress plenary session : War against Ukraine, future of the Council of Europe, youth engagement at local level, protection of the environment on the agenda of the session
The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe will hold its 44th Session from 21 to 23 March 2023 in Strasbourg, France. The Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejčinović Burić, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Tiny...
One year of war: President meets Ukrainian refugees in Romania
This weekend, Congress President Leendert Verbeek met with Ukrainian refugees in Romania, Mararmures region, a border region with Ukraine. He also visited a logistic centre supporting humanitarian aid to refugees as well as into Ukraine. Verbeek visited Maramureș in his capacity as King’s...
Gunn Marit Helgesen in Gdansk: Ukrainian communities contribute to democratic and European aspirations of Ukraine
“The Congress supports local authorities in Ukraine in strengthening transparency and good governance even in times of war”, stressed Congress Vice-President Gunn Marit Helgesen (Norway, EPP/CCE) addressing the European Committee of the Regions’ Working Group on Ukraine at its meeting in Gdansk,...
Congress launches a learning path on anti-discrimination practices and policies at local level in Georgia
“Local authorities’ innovative interventions can help to reduce social and economic inequalities and discrimination as well as to strengthen participation and trust on the ground“, stated Mathieu Mori, Secretary General of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe,...
