Crisis and decentralisation

Democracy and decentralisation will be the subject of a conference organised on 3 and 4 May 2010 at the University of St Gallen, Switzerland.

 

The event will bring together top officials, experts from member states of the Council.of Europe and representatives from the academic world and civil society to discuss questions related to democracy and local and regional authorities.

 

How to strengthen democracy through decentralisation? Is subsidiarity a legal principle or a political slogan? How to implement decentralisation in multi-ethnic states? Answers to these questions will be explored and discussed in the course of the debate.

 

The President of the Swedish Association of local authorities and regions and First vice-president of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions, Anders Knape, will participate in a workshop devoted to the issue of "referendum at regional and municipal level".

 

The conference is organised by the federal department of foreign affairs of Switzerland together with the Venice Commission and the University of St. Gallen. It will take place in the context of the Swiss chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.

 

Interpretation between English, French and German will be provided throughout the whole conference.