“Decentralisation of powers, strong institutions and good governance at the local level, and re-engagement of citizens are the key elements which will help societies to be more resilient and better prepared to face current and future challenges to democracy,” underlined Congress President Gunn Marit Helgesen at the European Conference on Democracy and Human Rights, in Kristiansand, Norway, on 5 May 2026.
The Conference was part of the annual Democracy Week of Kristiansand, which also featured the participation of First Vice-President of the Congress Konstantinos Koukas (Greece, EPP/CCE), and Congress Youth Delegate from Ireland Rayaa Onog attending the Youth Forum held during the Week.
Speaking in a panel discussion on democratic resilience at the local level, the Congress President pointed out that strong local democracy was a prerequisite for strong national democracy and that citizen’s engagement was one of the core pillars of local democratic resilience, adding that “building a strong inclusive, participatory civic framework is a strategic asset which makes democratic backsliding harder.”
Vice-President Koukas was the keynote speaker at the Cities4Democracy Conference on 6 May, stressing that democracy is not just a system of governance but a living, breathing ideal that upholds the principles of freedom, equality, and justice. “Democracy is not perfect, but it is the system which best protects and promotes fundamental rights, peace and stability, and gives every citizen a voice and every voice a value”, he said.
On 4 May, the President and the Vice-President also participated in an exchange of views with the Special Committee on the New Democratic Pact for Europe of the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly. They both insisted that the local level was best placed to act as a democratic “first responder”, as local authorities can easier identify issues at stake for citizens and possible social tensions, find solutions which are tailored to their communities and implement innovative approaches to re-engage citizens. “Local innovation is key to serving democracy” was their message to the Committee.
