The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Council of Europe has elected, during its 40th Session, Leendert Verbeek (Netherlands, SOC/G/PD) as its new President, for a mandate of 2 years and a half. He is the King’s Commissioner for the Province of Flevoland and he was previously the Chair of the Monitoring Committee of the Congress.

“We must stand next to our citizens, protect their human and civil rights, preserve democracy and where possible guarantee security and offer prospects for a healthy and economic future,” he stated. Mr. Verbeek also said that the funding of the Congress needs to be raised to an adequate level in order to meet the requirements of the tasks that the Congress undertakes.

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