First visit to Portugal by Zana Gümüş, the youngest country rapporteur in the history of the Council of Europe

As part of the visit, which was conducted within the framework of monitoring the implementation of Council of Europe standards and local democracy principles, Gümüş conducted comprehensive assessments regarding the functioning of local and regional democracy, governance standards, and the institutional structure of local governments in Portugal.

(From left to right: MP Rui AFONSO, Chair of the Budget, Finance and Public Administration Committee of the Assembly of the Republic of Portugal; MP Almiro MOREIRA, Chair of the Local Government Committee of the Assembly of the Republic of Portugal; Co-Rapporteur Elianne, Minister of the Limburg Region, Netherlands)

Demollins, Council of Europe CLRAE Rapporteur for Portugal Zana Gümüş, Secretary of the Council of Europe CLRAE Monitoring Committee Svetlana Preverten, Vice-Chair of the Council of Europe Expert Delegation Nikos Klepas

During the visit program, which covered the cities of Lisbon, Santarém, and Alpiarça, the Council of Europe Congress delegation held a series of meetings with central government representatives, members of parliament, representatives of independent institutions, and local government actors. These contacts addressed the institutional functioning of local democracy in Portugal, the scope of authority and responsibilities of local governments, and the processes of alignment with Council of Europe norms.

MEETINGS HELD WITH HIGH-LEVEL INSTITUTIONS

As part of the visit, the Council of Europe Congress delegation held extensive contacts regarding the functioning of local and regional democracy in Portugal. In this context, the delegation held meetings with members of the Portuguese Parliament, officials from the Ombudsman's office, representatives of the Ministry of Finance, and members of the Court of Audit and the Constitutional Court. Furthermore, the delegation met with Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas to evaluate local government practices in the capital, governance mechanisms, and institutional relations between central and local governments. These contacts addressed the functioning of local democracy in Portugal, administrative capacity, and processes of alignment with Council of Europe standards.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT PRACTICES EXAMINED ON-SITE

Within the framework of the program, visits were also made to the cities of Santarém and Alpiarça. In this context, meetings were held with mayors and local council representatives to discuss the functioning of local governments, relations between central and local governments, and issues of administrative capacity.  

“LOCAL DEMOCRACY IS THE INSTITUTIONAL FOUNDATION OF EUROPE”

Commenting on the visit, Zana Gümüş stated that local governments are one of the most important building blocks of democratic systems and expressed the following:

“The Council of Europe's standards on local democracy constitute a guarantee not only for governance structures but also for the participation of citizens in governance. As part of our visit, we comprehensively evaluated the functioning of local governments, governance mechanisms, and the processes of alignment with Council of Europe norms in Portugal.”

The purpose of the monitoring missions carried out by the Council of Europe Congress of Local and Regional Authorities is to examine the state of local democracy in member states and to evaluate the implementation of the European Charter of Local Self-Government signed by member states.

The report to be prepared in line with the findings obtained during the visit will be discussed at the Council of Europe Congress and will contribute to the formation of recommendations for member states.

ABOUT ZANA GÜMÜŞ

Born on March 31, 2001, Zana Gümüş is a politician and researcher working in the field of international relations. Her work focuses on public diplomacy, sub-national diplomacy, and foreign policy. As the youngest member of the Council of Europe Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, Gümüş takes part in international election observation missions carried out within the Congress and was appointed by the Congress as the Rapporteur for Portugal as of 2026. Gümüş has become the youngest person to be appointed as a rapporteur in the history of the Congress. She is also a member of the Young Elected Politicians (YEP) network of the European Committee of the Regions and continues her academic studies in the field of political science and international relations.

News Source: 12punto