The Annual Coordination Meeting of the European Local Democracy Week (ELDW) took place on February 27th in Strasbourg, France. The meeting brought together representatives from municipalities of countries actively involved in the European Local Democracy Week last year, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Türkiye, and Ukraine.
The opening speeches of the meeting were delivered by Mathieu Mori, the Secretary General of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe. Secretary General Mori expressed gratitude for the commitment to local democracy, especially from cities such as Lviv and Kyiv in Ukraine, despite the ongoing war and challenges faced by local governments.
In his speech, Mori highlighted that despite conflicts, local governments continue to play a crucial role in mitigating the impact of economic and energy crises, high inflation, the decline of democratic principles and values, climate change, and global warming. He emphasized the importance of resilient local governments in addressing these challenges and meeting the needs and expectations of citizens.
Véronique Bertholle, Deputy Mayor of Strasbourg and Congress Deputy Spokesperson on Youth, who moderated the meeting, congratulated the 51 participants from 18 countries for organizing 276 events throughout the year under challenging conditions. She acknowledged the significant contribution of these efforts in supporting democratic participation to enhance the resilience and inclusivity of societies.
Aligned with the theme "Local communities: putting democratic resilience at the forefront" for the 2023-2024 European Local Democracy Week, participants presented their best practices and activities, including participatory budgets, surveys, data, and meetings among young citizens.
Representatives from Çiğli, Buca, Bağcılar, and Ahmetbey Municipalities in Türkiye conducted presentations on their good practices. Participants from other countries, including Lviv (via video), Kyiv, Malta, Valongo, Vicovaro, and Banja Luka, also shared examples of good practices.
Students from Şehit Öğretmen Uğur Gören Multi-Program High School in Ahmetbey Municipality, designated as "climate change ambassadors" participated in the second session of the meeting. They emphasized the importance of youth participation in the development of local democracy.
To wrap up the meeting, 14 municipalities were awarded the "2023 European Local Democracy Week Partner" certificate in recognition of their commitment and efforts. The meeting concluded after the certificate ceremony and a group photo.
The European Local Democracy Week (ELDW) is a pan-European initiative co-ordinated by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe since 2007. Throughout the year, municipalities and their national associations are invited to organise initiatives all over Europe aimed at promoting citizen participation, fostering dialogue between the community and public authorities, strengthening trust in elected representatives and institutions and providing a European dimension to local initiatives. A flagship event takes place during the week of 15 October, the date of the signature of the European Charter of Local Self-Government in 1985.