Ukrainian mayors are leading change in local government

Strasbourg, 18 November 2014 - 19 mayors, elected in May 2014 and representing towns with populations ranging from 5 000 to 60 000 inhabitants, came together in Kyiv, between 11 and 13 November, to exchange views and experiences on the current challenges facing local authorities in Ukraine.

The mayors, together with Congress Members from Latvia, Slovenia and the Netherlands and experts, discussed the impact of administrative reforms on local authorities in Ukraine and in other European countries. The lack of precise and practical information on the reform process in Ukraine was particularly highlighted in the debate. Andris Jaunsleinis (Latvia, ILDG), President of the Latvian Association of Local and Regional Governments shared his practical and positive experience in the past 20 years in Latvia and encouraged the Ukrainian mayors “to stick together and negotiate with their association and government”.

When exchanging views on the practical aspects of their responsibilities and tasks as well as on their communication and on citizens’ engagement, Luzette Wagenaar-Kroon (the Netherlands, EPP/CCE), Mayor of Waterland, remarked that, as a mayor “what is important is to be transparent, to say what you do and to do what you say”.

Participants discussed anti-corruption measures as well as unethical behaviour and shared examples of ways and means to address the reasons behind such behaviours.  “We have to start changing from within in order to regain the trust of our citizens and to lead improvements”, they stated. Matej Gombosi (Slovenia, EPP/CCE) concurred that mayors can be influential in changing prevalent attitudes and they should in fact be leaders with respect to the rule of law.

“We are convinced of the need and irreversibility of change, we are ready for any reform and we want to contribute to it” concluded the participants while taking a first and immediate initiative to address their national associations and the government with their concerns and suggestions. They are committed with improving their communities’ life and will meet again in order to continue the peer-to-peer work within a group of like-minded people.

The workshop “Mayors leaders for change” was organised in Ukraine by the Council of Europe’s Congress of Local and Regional Authorities in the context of the “Immediate Measures Package for Ukraine (part 2.3 on local democracy)” and the Council Europe Action Plan for Ukraine.