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 Gudrun Mosler-Törnström: “We are confident that the decentralisation reform will bring about the awaited changes to the system of local self-government in Ukraine ”

Gudrun Mosler-Törnström: “We are confident that the decentralisation reform will bring about the awaited changes to the system of local self-government in Ukraine ”

On the occasion of the high-level visit carried out in Ukraine from 20 to 22 November 2017, the President of the Congress Gudrun Mosler-Törnström welcomed the political will of the Ukrainian authorities to pave the way for the next monitoring of local and regional democracy in Ukraine. In the second half of 2018, the Congress plans to carry out a monitoring visit, to make a new evaluation of the application of the European Charter of Local Self-Government in Ukraine.

The representatives of the Ukrainian authorities also re-confirmed their commitment to implement the Road Map, signed with the Congress in 2015, and to pursue the development of the local self-government and decentralisation reform, based on the principles and standards of the European Charter of Local Self-Government as well as the Congress’ recommendations.

The President of the Congress reaffirmed the Congress’ support for the reform process in Ukraine: “We are confident that the local self-government and decentralisation reform will bring about the awaited changes to the system of local self-government in Ukraine and we are determined to pursue our political co-operation with the Ukrainian authorities at all levels to achieve this goal for the benefit of Ukrainian people”.

Presidency Kyiv, Ukraine 27 November 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.