Addressing the President of the of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, with Jean-Claude Frécon, during the 115th Plenary Session of the Committee of the Regions,
Cllr Kieran McCarthy has highlighted the importance of genuine and transparent local elections as the basis for a functioning democracy and appreciated the successful Election Observation Missions that have been carried out jointly by the Committee of the Regions and the Congress members.
Cllr McCarthy has commended the youth involvement in the Scottish referendum on independence and the continued activity of citizens in democracy in Scotland and said that lessons need to be taken from their positive engagement. By the same token, he congratulated President Frécon for placing young people at the heart of many of their initiatives and taking into account the important role that youth can play in enhancing democracy.
Furthermore, the EA coordinator in the SEDEC commission has reminded of the need to work together with the Congress members towards achieving the common goals of promoting local and regional democracy within and outside the EU, improving local and regional governance and strengthening authorities' self-government.
" We have a role in informing our citizens as to what democracy is about and why it is so important to get involved in the democratic process" , concluded Cllr McCarthy.
