9/10/2025
The Charter turns 40: Renewing Democracy in the Digital Age
A joint event of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions and
the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe
13 October 2025
Venue: ACE Events, 22 Avenue d’Auderghem, 1040 Brussels, Belgium
In English with no interpretation
2025 marks the 40th anniversary of the opening for signature of the European Charter on Local Self-Government, a milestone document that enshrines the rights and responsibilities of Local and Regional Governments (LRGs) in upholding local democracy. Over the past four decades, LRGs have played a crucial role in ensuring democratic governance, civic engagement, and the protection of public interests. However, in the digital age, local democracy faces unprecedented challenges from disinformation, misinformation, and deliberate efforts to erode trust in public institutions.
The Council of Europe New Democratic Pact for Europe emerges as a response to these challenges. The Pact will address the urgent challenge of democratic backsliding through a collective, inclusive and complex process. It will not aim to reinvent democracy, but rather to reinforce its foundations, amplify its benefits, and innovating its form to make it resonate with all citizens, in particular with younger generations. The Pact is about making democracy stronger, more resilient and more adaptable to emerging and ongoing challenges through innovation, technology, and collective action.
To address these pressing issues, the Council of European Municipalities and Regions and the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe will organise an event to discuss with policymakers, local government representatives, and civil society actors how LRGs can continue to foster local democracy despite these challenges. The joint event will showcase efforts by local and regional actors to build democratic resilience, including the launch of CEMR’s recent study on how LRGs across Europe are addressing disinformation.
The event will take place in Brussels on Monday, 13 October 2025, the eve of the European Week of Regions and Cities. It will last from 2.00 pm to 6.30 pm and conclude with a networking cocktail. The participants will include elected officials (MEPs and Committee of the Regions’ members) and representatives from the EU, OECD, academia and civil society.
PROGRAMME
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13:30 – 14:00 |
Registration |
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14:00 – 14:05 |
INTRODUCTION Objectives of the Day by Sally BAILEY-RAVET, Head of Department and Head Interpreter, Council of Europe |
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SESSION I: Safeguarding Local Democracy from Multiple Challenges
Moderated by Sally BAILEY-RAVET, Head of Department and Head Interpreter, Council of Europe |
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14:05 – 14:15 |
Opening Statements · Marc COOLS, President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities · Gunn Marit HELGESEN, President of Council of European Municipalities and Regions |
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14:15 – 14:45 14:45 – 15:40 |
Discussion Lead Discussants · Daniel FLEISCHER-AMBRUS, Team Leader, DG JUST Dir C, Unit C4, Democracy, Anti-Corruption, Union Citizenship and Free Movement, European Commission · Carol THOMAS, Senior Adviser, Council of European Municipalities and Regions – presentation of CEMR’s new report, Local Truth, Shared Trust: Tackling Mis/Disinformation from the Local Level · Kristoffer TAMSONS, Member, Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, Sweden, Rapporteur on “Hate speech and fake news: the impact on working conditions of local and regional elected representatives” Discussion with Audience Key Topics and Guiding Questions - Disinformation and Freedom of Speech: What strategies can effectively raise public awareness about the dangers of disinformation and its impact on trust in democracy, local institutions, political participation, and community cohesion? Is stronger action needed to address harassment and threats against local officials, especially when gender-based? - Media Freedom and Pluralism. How can local authorities partner with local media to ensure transparent and accurate coverage of local decision-making and support their sustainability, while respecting editorial independence? |
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15:40 – 16:00 |
Coffee break |
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SESSION II: Strengthening Civic Participation, Trust and Democratic Resilience
Moderated by Sally BAILEY-RAVET, Head of Department and Head Interpreter, Council of Europe |
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16:00 – 16:10 |
Opening Statements · Christoph SCHNAUDIGEL, Co-President, Council of European Municipalities and Regions · Lucija JUSUP, Croatia, Youth Delegate, Congress of Local and Regional Authorities |
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16:10 – 16:25 16:25 – 17:05 |
Discussion Lead Discussants · Marianne OVERTON (United Kingdom), Member of Policy Committee, Council of European Municipalities and Regions · Nadim AHMAD, Deputy Director, Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Discussion with Audience Key Topics and Guiding Questions - Inclusive Democratic Participation and Political Decision-Making. How can we more effectively engage citizens, including young people, in decision-making? How can we strengthen trust in democracy? Which best practices could be scaled up or shared more widely? - Robust Multi-Level Governance. How can we improve the practice of multi-level governance? What are the main challenges in aligning democratic decisions and priorities across different levels of government? |
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SESSION III: Innovating for Democracy Moderated by Sally BAILEY-RAVET, Head of Department and Head Interpreter, Council of Europe |
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17:05 – 17:15 |
Opening Statements · Gobnait NI MHUIMNEACAIN, Member (Ireland), Congress of Local and Regional Authorities · Eglė RADZIENĖ, Member (Lithuania), Young Elected Officials Committee, Platforma, Council of European Municipalities and Regions |
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17:15 – 17:30 17:30 – 18:15 |
Discussion Lead Discussant · Dr Sophie VÉRITER, Leiden University – Exploring Innovative Tools of Participation in Democratic Life: Building Trust and Democratic Resilience Discussion with Audience Key Topics and Guiding Questions - Innovative Tools and Mechanisms. How can deliberative tools, such as citizens’ panels, assemblies, and other innovative mechanisms, enhance democratic decision-making? - Strengthening Democracy. What other innovative policies and approaches can strengthen democracy and citizens’ trust in democratic institutions? - Artificial Intelligence. What is the impact of AI on democracy? Can AI be used to protect democracy? |
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18:15 – 18:30 |
CONCLUDING SESSION Moderated by Sally BAILEY-RAVET, Head of Department and Head Interpreter, Council of Europe Summary of Main Recommendations and Next Steps · Jeff LOVITT, independent expert, Congress of Local and Regional Authorities Closing remarks by: · Federica BORDELOT, Director for Policy and Impact, Council of European Municipalities and Regions · Claudia LUCIANI, Director of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities |
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18:30 – 20:00 |
Networking Cocktail |
