During a ceremony in Bilbao (Spain) on 5 February 2026, attended by Congress Secretary General Mathieu Mori, the City of Bilbao and municipalities of Leioa, Errenteria and Urretxu were awarded the European Label of Governance Excellence (ELoGE), and Tolosa was honoured for its commitment to good democratic governance. Bilbao and Leioa obtained the ELoGE award for the second time.
ELoGE is benchmarking process based on the 12 Principles of good democratic governance, 36 targets and 72 indicators; it is awarded to municipalities which can demonstrate that they have achieved a high level of performance against those standards. In Euskadi (the Basque Country of Spain), ELoGE is implemented by the Association of Basque Municipalities (EUDEL). Since 2017, 16 Basque municipalities have obtained ELoGE.
In their remarks, mayors underlined their commitment to local governance aimed at innovation, transparency and community service. Mayor of Bilbao Juan Mari Aburto Rike emphasised that ELoGE “is a collective effort of municipal bodies, staff and citizens who are increasingly involved in the construction of a common Bilbao for all people”. Aizpea Otaegi Mixelena, Mayor of Errenteria, highlighted that “we value the evaluation process that has allowed us to make a stop along the way and review what we have done so far as well as set new milestones for the future.”
President of EUDEL Esther Apraiz emphasised that “ELoGE is more than a recognition, it is a practical tool to offer better policies and public services, and achieve a higher quality of life in our towns and cities. Mayors are the first line of defence of democracy in Europe, and now, more than ever, we must strengthen dialogue and collaborative governance, hand in hand with informed and active citizens”.
For the Basque Government, Deputy Minister of Institutional Relations Xabier Ochandiano underlined that ELoGE serves “to improve the relationship between city councils and citizens and advance in a better provision of public services. Its principles are translated into real practices of good governance that improve well-being and quality of life in the face of the current polarisation.”
For his part, the Congress Secretary General stressed that “through the Council of Europe’s New Democratic Pact for Europe, we reaffirm that democracy is not a luxury for calm times, but a necessity precisely when times are difficult. That democratic security begins locally — in our municipalities, in our councils, in the daily relationship between citizens and those who serve them. At a time of serious democratic challenges, ELoGE contributes to strengthening trust between citizens and institutions. We applaud the leadership of EUDEL and the Basque municipalities in promoting our common values.”
