Congress President

Marc Cools, President of the Congress


Marc Cools (Belgium, ILDG) was elected President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe on 24 October 2023 for a mandate of two years and a half. He is currently the Communal Councillor of Uccle (Belgium) and Honorary Vice-President of the Brussels Parliament  and was previously the chair of the Independent and Liberal Democrat Group in the Congress.

President's role

The President's role is to direct the political activities of the Congress and its Chambers, to carry out Congress policy and to represent the Congress vis-à-vis other international organisations, within the context of the Council of Europe's general policy on external relations.

The President of the Congress ensures that decisions taken by the Congress are implemented and reacts on behalf of the Congress to current developments. He or she also presents the activities of the Congress and the texts that it has adopted to the Parliamentary Assembly and Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.  

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Back Council of Europe’s Congress adopts report on the situation of mayors in Turkey

Council of Europe’s Congress adopts report on the situation of mayors in Turkey
On 29 March 2017, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe adopted a recommendation and resolution on the situation of mayors and councillors in Turkey, and, in particular, on the detention of elected mayors and their replacement by mayors appointed by the central authorities. The co-rapporteurs Anders Knape (Sweden, EPP/CCE) and Leen Verbeek (Netherlands, SOC) presented the report prepared following two fact-finding missions to the country in 2016. In the adopted texts, the Congress asks the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to invite the Turkish authorities to rescind the legislative measures on “mayors appointed by the central authorities” and restore the capacity of municipal councils to choose a replacement mayor. It also points out that the arrest of a local elected representative must be a decision duly substantiated in domestic law, taken in conformity with the standards of the Council of Europe and, in particular, with the European Convention on Human Rights. The Congress also calls for Turkish legislation to be revised, in order to align its definition of terrorism with European standards, notably the case law of the European Court of Human Rights. In addition, the Congress calls for a revision of the ministerial instructions of 11 November 2016 with a view to decriminalising the appointment of co-mayors. In this connection, it has agreed to put the review of the situation of Nurhayat Altun, member of the Turkish delegation of the Congress, on the agenda of its Bureau meetings until the end of legal proceedings. “Co-mayor” of Tunceli, Ms Altun was arrested on 17 November 2016 and is being held in Kocaeli F-type prison.  

Press Release
Report CG32(2017)13
Video of the debate
Interview with Mr.Leendert Verbeek and Mr.Anders Knape
File: 32nd Session of the Congress          
MONITORING Strasbourg 29 March 2017
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Chamber of Regions

Tunc Soyer, President of the Chamber of Regions

Tunc Soyer (Türkiye, SOC/G/PD) was elected on 25 October 2023 President of the Chamber of Regions of the Congress for a two-and-a-half-year term of office.

Chamber of Local Authorities

Bernd Vöhringer, President of the Chamber of Local Authorities

Bernd Vöhringer (Germany, EPP/CCE) was elected on 25 October 2023 President of the Chamber of Local Authorities of the Congress for a two-and-a-half-year term of office.