Rule of law issues came up high on the European agenda in the past decade. The general decline of democracy and problems of rule of law cannot be solved solely by EU institutions. Local level, cities and regions have a pivotal role in defending and promoting the rule of law, while they are also among the first ones to suffer from the lack of the rule of law in a country. The Pact of Free Cities, initiated by the Mayors of the capital cities of the V4 group, grown by now a European and global network of more than 30 cities, is based on the values of democracy, freedom, human dignity, and the rule of law.

Cities often suffer from this rule of law deficit through forced centralization, political discrimination, and financial destabilization caused by the actions of their respective national governments. In some cases, state of emergency regimes due to the pandemic have reduced the funding and powers of cities, which has also resulted in a decline in the rule of law. These centralization efforts clearly conflict with the interests of the European Union and its principle of subsidiarity. Urban administrations are in direct 
contact with citizens in many areas that affect their daily lives and through their responsibilities, cities play a crucial role in ensuring European values. 

**Mayors of five Pact member cities gathered in Brussels on 7th February 2023** to discuss in the framework of the conference „Cities for the Rule of Law” how cities can contribute to promoting EU values and the rule of law in conversation with Commissioner Didier Reynders. The Cities and Commissioner also explored what the EU can do to support cities in these endeavours. Experts from 
academia as well as the European Parliament further explored the problems in Europe and how they can be addressed.

The Pact of Free Cities calls upon the Commission to acknowledge cities as indispensable partners in upholding human rights and in ensuring the implementation of the fundamental principles of the 
European Union such as the rule of law. The cities of the Pact proposed that rule of law reports should cover the legal situation of cities/municipalities and address the possible deteriorations thereof, considering that the legal and economic situation of cities should be included in the country-specific recommendations.

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Cities for the Rule of Law Conference

Cities for the Rule of Law

The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) is delighted to announce that 100 mayors, from almost 50 countries on five continents have signed the Global Declaration of Mayors for Democracy. Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway of Madison, Wisconsin was the 100th mayor to endorse the declaration.

Cities are on the front lines of the fight to preserve liberal democracy and defend against attacks on free expression. Drawing from their cities’ shared identity as champions and centers of democratic development, the signing mayors reaffirm their unwavering commitment to rebuilding and reinforcing democracy, standing up for free and fair elections at home and abroad, defending the rule of law at all levels of government, and addressing urban challenges through the lens of democracy and democratic values.

This declaration builds on a previous initiative of the mayors of Budapest, Bratislava, Prague, and Warsaw, who saw the growth of illiberal forces eroding democracy in their respective countries and united to develop in 2019 the powerful Pact of Free Cities. All four mayors have signed the Global Declaration of Mayors for Democracy, as have dozens of their colleagues worldwide—from Fort Collins to Freetown, and from Seattle to Skopje.

The declaration’s origin is in the commitments mayors made at the 2021 Summit for Democracy and informed by a dialogue on democracy hosted by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and GMF Cities. The declaration was highlighted in the September G7 communiqué as an important example of cities taking responsibility for addressing global challenges and playing a critical role in democratic innovation.

Championing these commitments, GMF Senior Vice President Steven Bosacker said: _“Cities started democracy. Now they have a chance to save it. This is demonstrated by the endorsement of this declaration, and also in the huge support cities have shown to their counterparts in Ukraine, and the efforts and plans underway to rebuild devastated communities and cities in ways that are inclusive, green, and democratic.”_

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Global Declaration of Mayors for Democracy Reaches Milestone

During the joint meeting with the Mayors, Vitali Klitschko spoke in particular about the state of critical infrastructure in Kyiv, the functionality of which is necessary to keep the population in the city. Russia, he said, is mainly targeting civilian targets in its terrorist attacks on Kyiv. These attacks have, among other things, caused a complete power outage for 12 hours and are now threatening to damage the water supply infrastructure during the winter months. Klitschko went on to say that despite the damage in the city, he remains optimistic that Ukrainians will prevail in defending their country. 

The Mayors of Prague (Zdenek Hrib) and Warsaw (Rafal Trzaskowski) had already visited Kyiv on February 15, 2022, nine days before the Russian invasion. At that time, they expressed their support and readiness to help Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities to Mayor Klitschko. In the name of the Pact of Free Cities, they also offered Kyiv membership in the global network of progressive cities determined to stand up against nationalistic populism. Vitali Klitschko accepted this membership and Kyiv joined the Pact of Free Cities last September during the Prague Summit of Cities. This partnership allows for effective communication and unique coordination of assistance to Ukraine at the international intercity level.

_"Together with other Mayors, we are now looking for ways to leverage the potential of our cities in the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine. Last but not least, Mayor Klitschko and security experts from Kyiv are sharing their invaluable experience in managing a metropolis hit by multiple crises. From Kyiv, we can all learn how to prepare for similar terrorist attacks on critical civilian infrastructure. I appreciate the cooperation with the Mayor of Kyiv, but also Warsaw, Budapest and Bratislava are working very well,"_ says the Mayor of Prague Zdenek Hrib.

Since the beginning of the Russian war in Ukraine, the V4 capitals have been among the strongest supporters of Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities. Since last February, Prague, Warsaw, Budapest and Bratislava alone have received more than half a million people fleeing the war in Ukraine and have sent significant humanitarian aid to Ukrainian cities. Following the meeting with Mayor Kitschko, Warsaw has proposed a donation of 60 metro carriages to the Ukrainian capital, and Bratislava offered further 25 buses.

In Kyiv, the Mayors have visited sites damaged by Russian aggression and the heavily affected neighbouring town of Bucha. There, along with Bucha's Mayor, the delagation paid its respects to both the local inhabitants and the soldiers, who have been killed during the Russian attacks. consequently, the Mayors met with Yevhen Perebyinis, the Deputy Foreign Minister and former Ukrainian Ambassador to the Czech Republic, and Radek Matula, Czech Ambassador to Ukraine. They also paid a visit to places where support is provided to people affected by the war, such as a hospital for wounded soldiers from the front, or a rehabilitation centre for children with disabilities, and warming rooms, which will be helped by heaters that Prague recently donated to Kyiv.

Last but not least, the V4 Mayors met with Oleksandr Kamyshin, the CEO of state-owned Ukrainian Railways. The railways are proving absolutely essential during the war, both for transporting passengers within and out of Ukraine, and for delivering humanitarian help to the affected areas. It therefore comes as no suprise, that the railway route was the chosen mode of transit in and out of Ukraine for the Mayors and their team.


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Mayors Gather in Ukraine to Support Democracy

V4 Mayors Gather in Ukraine to Support Democrac

During the first day of the Summit, the Pact of Free Cities officially expanded with 6 new members, namely the cities of Kyiv, Berlin, Riga, Vilnius, Brussels and Hamburg, whose mayors signed a declaration of accession to the Pact. The Mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, said on the occasion: _"Ukraine is striving to become a full-fledged part of Europe, and Kyiv joining the Pact of Free Cities, which provides assistance to our country, is another step towards this goal. Cooperation is extremely important for all of us at this time - not only in the defence of Ukraine, but also in the defence of democratic values and other European countries."_ As he further indicated, he would like to host the next Pact of Free Cities Summit in a free Kyiv. 

The afternoon part of the summit, which was open to the public and took place at Prague's Centre for Architecture and Metropolitan Planning (CAMP), also discussed aid to Ukrainian cities damaged by the war with Russia. The City of Prague, for example, together with the Prague City Transport Company, is donating 20 trams to the city of Kharkiv and two buses to the city of Khmelnitsky. Representatives of the cities also shared their experiences and specific examples. They agreed on future cooperation within the framework of the Pact of Free Cities – on building expert teams that will be at the disposal of Ukrainian cities in planning sustainable post-war reconstruction.

_"Three years ago, together with the mayors of Bratislava, Budapest and Warsaw, we founded the Pact of Free Cities. Today, the number of member cities has grown to a remarkable 33, with whom we will work together not only to increase our own energy self-sufficiency or to cope with the impact of the climate crisis, but also in the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine. This will not only consist in repairing buildings, but also in promoting education and democratic values. As a result, assistance to Ukraine at city level will also contribute to managing the refugee situation in our cities. The sooner Ukrainian cities get back on their feet, the sooner people will be able to return to them and start living again without war and Russian aggression,"_ said Zdeněk Hřib, the Mayor of Prague.  

#### 11th Direct Dialogue between EU Capitals Mayors and the European Commission

On Tuesday the 27th September, the summit focused on direct dialogues between EU mayors and the European Commission with saving energy and helping citizens through winter; scaling up sustainable solutions in cities; direct financing being at the forefront. 

_"European cities must engage in a common dialogue with the European institutions and innovate in the way they approach the redistribution of funds and the handling of current crises. We want to see cities given direct funding and more power on these issues because they can offer quicker, more direct and more localized solutions than central governments. The Russian invasion of Ukraine, inflation and energy crisis do not only affect us economically, they also support the rise of populism, opinion polarity and extremism in our democratic countries. We believe that by giving more authority to municipalities, which are in close contact with their citizens, we can fight against this direction, minimize Russian influence and create smart cities which will save our financial resources as well as create good environment for the future generations."_ said Rafal Trzaskowski, Mayor of Warsaw and one of the founders of the Pact of Free Cities at the summit.

The European Commission was represented by Frans Timmermans, Vice-President of the European Commission, who stated at this occasion: _“The ongoing Russian occupation does not only affect Ukraine, it challenges democratic values in the whole EU and polarizes opinions across European societies. Our goal is to create steps to minimize the Russian influence and also face the reality of energy poverty the crisis creates. We need to make profound changes in our approach to sustainable development and implementation of the Green Deal for Europe to show our citizens that these are in their long and also short term interest. We have to become energy self-sufficient and find ways to save energy efficiently while keeping a high standard of living. The only possible way to complete this goal is by researching, innovating and implementing the usage of renewable energy sources.”_   

The representatives also shared their solutions, examples and practices during a discussion, with one of them being Anni Sinnemäki, who shared Helsinki's vision of becoming carbon neutral by 2030: _“We are in a time when small steps towards sustainable development are not enough, European cities are in need of complex and long term solutions. In Helsinki, we were able to make a change by e. g. changing the transport infrastructure, installing LED lights, lowering temperatures in our buildings, innovating air ventilation systems and giving our citizens the opportunity to get free consultations regarding sustainable renovations and living.”_

The summit is organized by the City of Prague and CAMP with the support of Eurocities. More information on the summit: 
[international.praha.eu/events/prague-summit-of-cities](https://international.praha.eu/events/prague-summit-of-cities)

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Kyiv joins the Pact of Free Cities, hosted by the Czech capital Prague

These questions will be answered by the Prague Summit of Cities hosted by the City of Prague on Sept 26-27. The two-day conference is held on the occasion of the Czech Presidency of the EU Council with the participation of dozens of Mayors and other representatives of European and world metropolises. The Summit will focus on the subject of Ukraine's post-war reconstruction and will also offer a common platform for discussion on the development of our cities.

The two-day event is further divided into two parts: the Pact of Free Cities Summit on Monday, Sept 26, and the 11th Direct Dialogue between EU Capitals Mayors and the European Commission on Tuesday, Sept 27.

#### Pact of Free Cities Summit
The annual meeting of the Pact of Free Cities will discuss practical assistance to war-affected Ukraine and aid to Ukrainian refugees. The organisation's activities over the past year will be reflected upon and the event will conclude with a ceremony to welcome new member cities (including, for example, Kyiv).

### 11th Direct Dialogue between EU Capitals Mayors and the European Commission
The key topic will be affordable housing and green urban restoration. However, the current situation in Ukraine and practical assistance to both Ukraine and cities affected by the refugee crisis will also be reflected in the dialogues. Frans Timmermans, Vice-President of the European Commission, will speak at the event. The event is supported by Eurocities.

#### Program
The morning part of the program at the Mayor's residence is always reserved for the Mayors to discuss the current issues and possible solutions. Therefore, the morning part of both events will be private. The program will open to the public in the afternoon at CAMP (Centre for Architecture and Metropolitan Planning). [Find the full program here.](https://international.praha.eu/events/prague-summit-of-cities)

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Mayors of European and world metropolises will come together in Prague to discuss the future of cities

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We believe that there is no fair and just democratic politics without common respect for its fundamental rules and values. We see the whole trial and the ruling, although set to go to a hopefully successful appeal, as a purely politically motivated attack on a member of the opposition and possible presidential candidate in the upcoming Turkish election.

We the Cities of the Pact have committed to defend free and fair elections, empower democratic movements worldwide as well as push back against electoral fraud but foremost unite to build a value-driven network in order to rebuild and reinforce democracy, fight populist nationalism, protect and promote our common values of freedom, equality, human and civil rights, rule of law and freedom of media.

Ekrem İmamoğlu, is a dear member of the international local government family.

This is the time for the international community to take a firm stand, as we cannot leave this attack against democracy unnoticed. We shall manifest our strong support for Mayor İmamoğlu on the international arena at any potential occasion, as he is the living example of a free, democratic city fighter for democracy.

Joint Statement: In Solidarity with Ekrem Imamoglu, Mayor of Istanbul

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