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.

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.

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Back Forum for Local Democracy in Ukraine: The Council of Europe Congress gathers together mayors, municipal councillors and young leaders in Snovjanka

Forum for Local Democracy in Ukraine: The Council of Europe Congress gathers together mayors, municipal councillors and young leaders in Snovjanka

On 4 to 7 July the Congress is holding a Forum for local democracy in Ukraine gathering together mayors, municipal councillors and young local leaders in Snovjanka, in the Region of Chernihiv. The Forum will focus on two main themes: representative democracy and its challenges and citizen participation. The participants will have the opportunity to discuss issues such as the representation of women in politics, youth engagement and public trust in elected representatives. They will also exchange good practices for renewing dialogue with citizens through participatory and democratic innovations. The Forum will take place over four days and include interactive plenary sessions, working groups on the main themes and discussion groups. The members of the Ukrainian delegation and members from other European delegations to the Congress, along with international and local experts will contribute to the discussions through case studies, statements and examples of good practices. The Forum was opened on 4 July, by the President of the Congress, Gudrun Mosler-Törnström, who will also take part, on 5 July 2017, in a working group on the representation of women in politics.

Press Release

Press accreditation

Website of the Forum (programme, documents, photos and videos)              

presidency Ukraine 4-7 July 2017
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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.  

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.