Speaking at the Conference on the principles of good democratic governance, in Nicosia (Cyprus) on 23 September 2024, Congress Spokesperson on the European Local Democracy Week (ELDW) Konstantinos Koukas (Greece, EPP/CCE) stressed the need to deliver tangible, meaningful outcomes for citizens at local level by engaging them more actively in improving democratic governance.

Addressing the conference organised by the Centre of Expertise for Multilevel Governance (CEMG) at the Congress, Mr Koukas recalled the importance of continuous learning and exchange between local authorities and residents of their communities as essential to ensuring that democracy thrives and that citizens experience the benefits of good governance in their daily lives. He pointed out that the Congress offers to municipalities such tools as the ELDW and the European Label of Governance Excellence (ELoGE) to boost citizen participation, improve democratic governance practice and measure performance.

Elikkos Ilia, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior in Cyprus, highlighted the relevance of the Council of Europe’s 12 principles of good democratic governance for both national and subnational governments, noting that they form the foundation of the ongoing local government reform in Cyprus. Local authorities in Cyprus were committed to adopting new processes to help them navigate the ongoing reforms and improve governance and service delivery, he said.  

The Conference was organised under the project "Enhancing the Local Government Reform in Cyprus," funded by the Government of Cyprus under the Recovery and Resilience Facility and implemented by the CEMG.