In his communication at the opening of the 36th Session on 2 April, Congress President Anders KNAPE highlighted the crucial role that the local and regional levels play in supporting the European model of democracy and society.
“National Governments must better recognise local democracy as an essential pillar of democracy and use the local level for democratic renewal of the system” he said. Recalling that the Council of Europe had been a forerunner in having integrated the local dimension in its activities since 1957, he underlined that “the Congress, today, is the second political assembly of the Council of Europe and brings to the Organisation the second political dimension of democracy, which is democratic local self-government and regional democracy in a system of shared governance”.
He underlined that the political and financial crisis, which the Council of Europe is facing today, is challenging the work of the Organisation as a whole and also the ability of the Congress to continue delivering its work in an efficient way. “The Council of Europe is more important than ever, with its institutional experience, for restoring the social fabric and the legitimacy of democratic debate,” he stressed, mentioning that the Congress could draw on the strength of its achievements and the accumulated experience of decades of promoting local democracy in Europe, in particular with its monitoring of the European Charter of Local Self-governance.
He stressed that the contribution of the Congress to the Helsinki Ministerial Summit on 16 and 17 May 2019, which is due to be discussed and adopted by this session, will convey the message that “the Congress is ready to contribute to the demand for democratic renewal across our societies.“ “The Congress is an essential part of this process – it represents local elected representatives, who are a direct link between public institutions and citizens – and it contributes to finding solutions and helping restore genuine democracy,” he concluded.
*** 36th Session of the Congress ***
File 36th Session - Agenda - Videos and photos - Mediabox
The Congress' contribution to the reflection on the future of the Council of Europe was adopted on 2 April 2019 during the 36th Session of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities.
- The Congress' contribution to the reflection on the future of the Council of Europe: Report CG36(2019)08
