40 years ago, the European Charter of Local Self-Government was opened for signature — a milestone that guarantees the rights and autonomy of local authorities across Europe. To mark this anniversary, Congress Vice-President Gunn Marit Helgesen discussed local democracy and the importance of the Charter in a Europe Explained podcast: “Local authorities have a right of judicial appeal in order to ensure the free exercise of their powers and respect for the principles of local self-government enshrined in the constitutions, or in the law of each country.”
“We see a lot of backsliding of democracy in the world. And I think it's more important than ever to really look into how democracy should be at its best, how to involve the citizens, how to focus on human rights, the rule of law”, she explained.
