Gathered in Strasbourg on 1 October 2019 on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Council of Europe, the former Congress presidents addressed a message to the new Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić, in which they expressed their conviction as to the value of the Congress within the intergovernmental institution of the Council of Europe. They encouraged the Secretary General “to give the Congress the political priority it deserves and the means it needs to fulfil its mission”. Stressing the growing interest of member State governments in the Congress' monitoring of local democracy, the former presidents recognised the increased willingness of governments to participate in debates on the quality of their own local governance at Congress sessions.
“We are addressing the new Secretary General at a political moment in which the crisis of confidence felt by our citizens in the institutions confers on us a special mandate, an imperative duty to rise to this challenge” stated Congress President Anders Knape. “As local elected representatives, our communities are the institutions closest to the citizens, therefore we have the huge responsibility of ensuring the robustness of our societies”, he concluded.
See also:
- Seminar on the Congress’ history and achievements
- News: "Congress President meets the President of the French Republic"
- News: "Former Congress presidents exchange views with the current Bureau"
- News: "Former Presidents and the Bureau of the Congress are mobilising to ensure the future of the Assembly of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe"
- Statement by the former Presidents of the Congress
