The right and ability of all citizens to stand for elected office is a fundamental principle of local democracy, established in Article 7 of the European Charter of Local Self-Government. In other words, material concerns should not prevent any citizen from standing for office. That was the point made by the Congress in a debate held on this subject in Strasbourg, France on 3 April 2019, during its 36th Session.

Presented by the Congress co-rapporteurs, Marta CAMPANARI-TALABER (Hungary, EPP/ CCE) and Robert GRUMAN, (Romania, EPP/CCE), the report states that while all member states of the Council of Europe now have some form of financial compensation in place for local and regional elected representatives, 13 member states have yet to ratify the article in question.

The Congress encourages governments to ratify Article 7.2 of the Charter and to adopt salary scales, setting minimum and maximum remuneration levels for heads of local and regional authorities, and those with executive functions. Such pay scales must be transparent and open to public scrutiny.

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