(AGENPARL) - Roma, 14 Settembre 2026 - Image
 
PRESS RELEASE

Congress of Local and Regional Authorities

International Day of Democracy: Democracy is experienced first and foremost locally, says Congress President

The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe is the political assembly representing local and regional governments across the 46 member States, responsible for promoting and monitoring local

"All these factors have something important in common – ultimately, they are experienced by people in the communities where they live. Local and regional elected representatives bear the primary responsibility for the health of local democracy – by engaging citizens, and young people in particular, in local governance; by delivering results in response to citizens' needs and expectations; and by leading by example in their commitment to democratic values. Because democratic resilience is built locally, and the signs of democratic decline often appear locally first," said the Congress President.

She pointed out that there was room for optimism: local democracy had made real progress across Europe in recent years, as decentralisation of power was increasingly recognised in national laws, territorial and administrative reforms strengthened local capacities, and citizens were having a greater voice in local decisions.

"As we mark International Day of Democracy, let us remember that democracy is not a given – it is built and renewed constantly from the ground up, together with citizens, and this work is never finished," concluded President Helgesen.

Contact: Congress Communication Unit ( ,

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Composed of two chambers – the Chamber of Local Authorities and the Chamber of Regions – and three committees, the Congress brings together 612 elected officials representing more than 130 000 local and regional authorities.

President of the Congress: Gunn Marit Helgesen (Norway, EPP/CCE), President of the Chamber of Local Authorities: Konstantinos Koukas (Greece, EPP/CCE), President of the Chamber of Regions: Cecilia Dalman Eek (Sweden, SOC/G/PD).

Political groups: Group of Socialists, Greens and Progressive Democrats (SOC/G/PD), Group of the European Peoples Party (EPP/CCE), Independent Liberal and Democratic Group (ILDG), European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR), Patriots for Europe (PfE).

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