I’m standing outside a primary school at 7am on an icy November Sunday morning in deepest Slovenia, alongside a Belgian councillor.
We’re waiting for a polling station to be opened as we are official observers from the Congress of the Council of Europe.
It proves to be a remarkable day. We visited polling stations in schools, a library, a church office (where the presiding officer had already had a brandy before midday), a bar and a dance school.
It was a privilege to see democracy in action and to be part of the process. But how did I come to be there?
Perhaps a little-known aspect of UK engagement with our neighbours, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities is the local arm of the Council of Europe (CoE). This was established after World War II to defend human rights, promote rule of law, and foster democracy and good governance across the whole of Europe.
You could say that the CoE was ‘Made in Britain’. An initiative of Sir Winston Churchill, the first meeting was in London. Many of its founding texts were drafted by UK civil servants and UK ministers participate in the executive decision-making that steers the organisation.
The Council of Europe isn’t part of the EU. This is why we remain members – indeed, we are major players.
Since Brexit, the CoE is now the principal European organisation through which the UK can meet counterparts from 45 other countries to exchange experience and good practice, develop policies and partnerships, and conduct diplomacy at both national and local levels.
All European countries are members, from Iceland to Azerbaijan. Only two have ever left: Belarus and Russia.
The UK sends 18 members to the Congress, nominated by the four UK local government associations and devolved parliaments.
I am honoured to say I was recently elected as leader of the UK delegation and as chair of the Congress social inclusion committee, which addresses social rights, gender and diversity, migration, cultural identity and regional languages, youth policy and education.
The core task of the Congress is the defence of democratic values and governance at the local level through missions such as that election observation in Slovenia.
It also conducts peer reviews of every country to ensure that central governments are implementing the European Charter of Local Self-Government, which guarantees administrative and financial independence of local authorities.
I’ve just been part of the team that reviewed France, again a fascinating piece of work and a privilege.
Each country is peer reviewed every five years. For the UK there was a mixed report card in 2022 – mostly positive, a case of ‘could do better’.
Across Europe, certain themes keep repeating and are familiar: inadequate funding, excessive scrutiny, bureaucratic delays, increasing abuse and violence towards members.
How these are addressed in different countries might help us at home and vice versa.
My most recent mission was a visit to see how local authorities in Armenia are managing the influx of displaced people from Karabakh; another cold start the week before Christmas, but so important in maintaining the rights of our friends and neighbours.
You can find out about the LGA’s European and international work at www.local.gov.uk/topics/european-and-international. Visit www.coe.int/en for more on the Council of Europe.
