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Congress and Montenegro sign a postmonitoring roadmap for improving local governance
On 18 September 2026 in Podgorica, Congress President Gunn Marit Helgesen and Minister of Public Administration of Montenegro Marash Dukaj signed a roadmap for the implementation of Congress Recommendation 506 (2024) on the application of the European Charter of Local Self-Government, in the...
Albanian municipalities and Congress experts exchange on strengthening community involvement
A three-day Expert Lab on Civil Participation was organised by the Congress from 15 to 17 September 2026 in Tirana, Albania, bringing together independent experts, representatives of the Local Government Training Academy (TALGA) and specialists from the municipalities of Lezha, Shkodra, Kukes,...
Congress connects local authorities to Register of Damage to push claims for justice in Ukraine
Local authorities are taking a decisive role in securing justice for Ukraine by directly connecting war-affected citizens with European compensation mechanisms. On 15 September 2026, the Congress and the Register of Damage for Ukraine joined forces to mobilise 300 online and in-person...
Congress Secretary General calls for more intergenerational fairness in everyday local and regional democracy
“Long-term and intergenerational fairness – ensuring that decisions made today are fair to both current and future generations – must become determinants of everyday local and regional democratic processes and decisions,” stressed Congress Secretary General Mathieu Mori today at the Summer...
Strong local democracy for Republic of Moldova’s European path
Stronger local democracy is essential to building democratic resilience in the Republic of Moldova, Congress Vice-President Konstantinos Koukas (Greece, EPP/CCE) stressed at the 15th Annual Meeting of the Conference of Regional and Local Authorities for the Eastern Partnership (CORLEAP), held in...
Council of Europe Congress Rapporteur on LGBTI rights calls for respect for fundamental rights following operations targeting LGBTI civil society in Türkiye
“The Congress is deeply concerned by reports of coordinated raids, detentions and restrictions targeting LGBTI organisations, activists and human rights defenders in Türkiye,” stated Congress Rapporteur on LGBTI rights, Helen Belcher (United Kingdom, R, ILDG). “According to the information...
First Sweden election observation mission by Congress welcomes well-run process and high participation
Commenting on the overall mission to observe local and regional elections in Sweden on 13 September 2026, Marcin Golaszewski (Poland, EPP/CCE), Head of delegation, noted: “The seven Congress teams deployed across the country observed well-organised and transparent elections, with simple and...
Democracy is experienced first and foremost locally, says Congress President
“Today, democracy is under strain all over the world – democratic backsliding, a loss of citizens’ trust in democratic institutions and politicians, war, environmental degradation and economic pressures are all contributing to the erosion of democracy,” underlined Gunn Marit Helgesen, President...
Council of Europe Congress to observe elections in Sweden
An 11-member delegation of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe will carry out an election observation mission from 11 to 14 September 2026, to observe the local and regional elections taking place on 13 September 2026 in Sweden. On election day, teams will be...
Congress President at the Committee of Ministers: Strong local democracy is part of Europe’s democratic security
“Democratic security begins at the local level – because democracy is experienced locally, democratic resilience is built locally, and the warning signs of democratic decline often appear locally first,” underlined Congress President Gunn Marit Helgesen during her first exchange of views with the...
Let us use the lessons of the past to ensure a better future for cities and local democracies across Europe, says Governance Committee Vice-Chair
“It has been said that all politics is local, but so too is history. No-one knows this better than local politicians” Congress Governance Committee Vice-Chair Linda Gillham (United Kingdom, ILDG) told a conference of over one thousand urban historians in Barcelona, Spain, on 4 September 2026....
Congress body grants accreditation to six local government associations to deliver ELoGE
The ELoGE Accreditation Platform of the Congress, co-chaired by Vice-Presidents Konstantinos Koukas (Greece, EPP/CCE) and Cecilia Dalman Eck (Sweden, SOC/G/PD), met online on 26 August 2026 to consider requests to implement the European Label of Governance Excellence in 6 member states and...
ELDA spokesperson Marcin Gołaszewski: local government is a school of democracy
Marcin Gołaszewski (EPP/CCE, Poland), the Congress Spokesperson for the European Local Democracy Action (ELDA) initiative and councillor of Łódź, and Dariusz Joński, a member of the European Parliament met in Łódź to launch a joint call for Polish cities to show their commitment to local...
Council of Europe Congress Spokesperson on Youth reaffirms commitment to supporting the aspirations of young people across Europe
“Young people across Europe come from different communities, cultures and backgrounds, yet they often share a common aspiration: to have a meaningful voice in decisions shaping their future and to contribute to more inclusive, peaceful, and sustainable societies. This year’s International Youth...
“Change comes from the local level up to protect the rights of LGBTI persons” says Council of Europe Congress Rapporteur on LGBTI at the WorldPride Human Rights Conference
“Local and regional authorities across Europe must stand firm in protecting the rights of LGBTI people as we are at the forefront of safeguarding democracy and human rights. However, recent democratic backsliding has led to growing restrictions on the freedoms of expression and assembly,” stated...
Ceuta crisis: Council of Europe Congress mourns the victims and calls for reinforced migration cooperation
Peter Drenth (Netherlands, EPP/CCE), Congress Standing Rapporteur on Human Rights, issued the following statement regarding the dramatic situation currently unfolding in Ceuta: "We are deeply saddened by the many people who have lost their lives in these tragic events, and we extend our sincere...
Council of Europe Congress Rapporteur: “Combating discrimination against Roma and Travellers today must be rooted in awareness of their history”
Ahead of this year’s European Holocaust Memorial Day for Sinti and Roma (2 August), and his participation, on behalf of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, in the official Commemoration Ceremony in Auschwitz, Peter Drenth (Netherlands, EPP/CCE), Congress Standing Rapporteur on Human...
Türkiye: Council of Europe Congress deeply deplores the arrest of Congress Vice-President and Üsküdar Mayor, Sinem Dedetaş
Marc Cools (Belgium, ILDG) and Bryony Rudkin (United Kingdom, SOC/G/PD), Rapporteurs on the situation of local democracy in Türkiye for the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, have issued the following statement regarding the recent arrest of Congress...
Pioneering local deliberative democracy: Citizens’ assembly simulation held in Kosovo*
A three-day simulation of a citizens’ assembly was organised by the Congress from 21 to 23 July 2026 in Brezovica/Brezovicë. The event brought together 30 participants from nine municipalities, the Association of Kosovo Municipalities, and the Ministry of Local Government Administration. Stepping...
Ukraine: civic leaders turn local ideas into projects through the “Initiative. Participation. Impact” programme
The Congress project “Strengthening multilevel governance and local democracy to support Ukraine’s recovery” has successfully concluded the “Initiative. Participation. Impact” programme. Designed for civic leaders and civil society representatives from across Ukraine, the programme focused on...
