News 2026
Democratic culture is the answer to authoritarianism in Belarus, says Congress Rapporteur
On 2 June 2026, the Congress Rapporteur for a Democratic Belarus, Belinda Gottardi (Italy, SOC/G/PD), participated in the second Kościuszko Forum in Gdansk, co-organised by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland and the European Solidarity Centre. Speaking on a panel alongside Sviatlana...
Congress President meets Council of Europe Secretary General
Congress President Gunn Marit Helgesen and Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset held a bilateral meeting in Strasbourg on 28 May. President Helgesen welcomed the Secretary General’s leadership on the New Democratic Pact for Europe and outlined the Congress’ contribution to the Pact,...
Türkiye: Council of Europe Congress calls to uphold opposition rights and respect the will of voters
Marc Cools (Belgium, ILDG) and Bryony Rudkin (United Kingdom, SOC/G/PD), Rapporteurs on the situation of local democracy in Türkiye of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, have made the following statement: “We deplore the recent developments affecting...
Congress delegation visits Kyiv to back Ukraine’s democratic resilience
A delegation of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, led by Cecilia Dalman-Eek, President of the Chamber of Regions (Sweden, SOC/G/PD), visited Kyiv on 25-26 May 2026. The mission aimed to strengthen political dialogue with Ukrainian authorities at all levels,...
Accreditation of national associations to award the European Label of Governance Excellence: Call for applications
European Label of Governance Excellence (ELoGE) awarded to municipalities across Europe which have achieved the required standards of good democratic governance. The Congress is now launching a new call for national associations of local and regional authorities to apply for accreditation to...
Kyiv citizens’ assembly delivers 24 recommendations to support war veterans and their families
Kyiv’s Obolon district concluded a citizens’ assembly dedicated to supporting veterans and their families, one of the most pressing challenges faced by Ukrainian communities during the Russian Federation's war of aggression against Ukraine. After three weekends of deliberation, participants...
Congress Secretary General at World Urban Forum: “Housing is a question of democratic resilience and human dignity”
“If we want local and regional governments to play their full role in housing and land-use planning, we need governance systems that combine democratic legitimacy, long-term capacity and effective multilevel co-ordination,” underlined Congress Secretary General Mathieu Mori addressing the UN...
First Iceland election observation mission by Congress welcomes well-run process and efficient integrity measures
Reykjavik, 17.05.2026 – Commenting on the overall mission, Mélanie Lepoultier (France, ILDG), Head of delegation, noted: “The seven Congress teams deployed across the country observed well-organised elections with smooth procedures managed by professional and experienced polling station...
Congress President at Chisinau Ministerial: “Local democracy a cornerstone of democracy in member States’ decisions”
Congress President Gunn Marit Helgesen has welcomed the political declaration adopted today by the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers – “We in the Congress are especially pleased to see that the role of local governments and their contribution to the priorities of the Council of Europe...
International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia
Ahead of International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (17 May), held this year under the theme “At the heart of democracy”, Gudrun Mosler-Törnström (Austria, SOC/G/PD) and Helen Belcher (United Kingdom, ILDG), rapporteurs of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the...
ALDA General Assembly: Congress highlights the role of local and regional authorities as democratic “first responders”
Valetta, 13 May 2026 “Local authorities act as democratic “first responders” capable of addressing citizens’ concerns and delivering concrete solutions at community level,” underlined First Vice-President of the Congress Konstantinos Koukas (Greece, EPP/CCE) in his opening address at the General...
European Capital of Democracy: Congress launches a new initiative for local citizen participation
On 12 May 2026, the Annual Coordination meeting of the European Local Democracy Week (ELDW)’s 2025 edition took place on the sidelines of the ACT NOW Mayors Conference in the 2026 European Capital of Democracy (ECoD), Cascais, Portugal. The highlight of the meeting was the launch of the European...
Congress publishes conclusions on multilevel governance approaches to reinforce democratic resilience
The Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the 46 Council of Europe member states are gathering in Chișinău on 15 May 2026 for their annual Ministerial session to decide on the Council of Europe’s policy objectives at a particularly crucial time for Europe and its citizens and to discuss the New...
Congress Secretary General in the European Capital of Democracy: “Local democracy protects democratic culture in Europe”
“Democratic security is never defended only through constitutions, courts, or national institutions. It is defended where citizens encounter democracy in practice, when democracy is not distant, but lived: in our towns and villages,” underlined Congress Secretary General Mathieu Mori at the...
Council of Europe Congress to observe local elections in Iceland
A 15-member delegation from the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe will carry out an election observation mission from 13 to 17 May, to observe the local elections taking place on 16 May 2026 in Iceland. On election day, seven teams will be deployed throughout the...
Well-organised and inclusive electoral procedures for first Council of Europe Congress observation mission in the United Kingdom
London, 08.05. 2026 – Commenting on the overall mission to observe elections in the United Kingdom held on 7 May 2026, Head of the delegation of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe Jani Kokko (Finland, SOC/G/PD) noted: “The seven Congress teams deployed in...
From ideas to action for Ukrainian communities: “Community Recovery Academy” holds its final workshop in Kyiv
On 29-30 April 2026 in Kyiv, the Community Recovery Academy, a nationwide training centre for municipal officials to contribute to the recovery of Ukraine, held the last of five workshops of its second cohort . The event marked the concluding stage of a comprehensive training programme carried...
Congress in Kristiansand: Resilient cities are key to strengthening European democracy
“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...
Peace through historical memories: Congress supports the European cities’ pledge
“The Brussels Pledge to foster peace by preserving historical memories reinforces co-operation among European cities in mobilising local leaders around shared commitments to defend European values, strengthen unity and engage citizens, particularly younger generations,” underlined Congress Deputy...
Council of Europe Congress to examine the application of the European Charter of Local Self-Government in Portugal
Strasbourg, 04.05.2026 – A delegation from the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, composed of rapporteurs Zana Gümüş (Türkiye, SOC/G/PD) and Elianne Demollin-Schneiders (Netherlands, EPP/CCE) will carry out the second part of a monitoring visit to Portugal from 5...
