Congress Vice-President Cecilia Dalman Eek (Sweden, SOC/G/PD) visited Lviv on 22 October 2026 to reaffirm support for Ukraine's decentralisation reform, metropolitan governance and intermunicipal co-operation. She met Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi, addressed the 3rd International Forum of Agglomerations of Ukraine, and reviewed the results of Ukraine's first metropolitan citizens' assembly.
Ms Dalman Eek praised the pioneering deliberative process, which gathered 50 residents from 13 communities to produce 19 recommendations on sustainable water management. "Water does not stop at administrative boundaries," she stated, emphasising that intermunicipal co-operation must include citizens as informed partners in considering solutions to shared challenges. She urged authorities to translate these recommendations into concrete actions to build public trust.
At the Forum, she highlighted Ukraine's decentralisation as a beacon of resilience against the Russian Federation's war of aggression. Drawing on European experience, she stressed the need for clear legal frameworks, stable financing, and balanced municipal partnerships.
"I have one message for national authorities and one for mayors. To national authorities: enable, don't dictate. Voluntary co-operation, backed by clear rules and stable money, lasts longer. To mayors: don't wait for the perfect law. Every service you share builds the trust that Ukraine's recovery will need," she said.
The visit underscored the Congress's ongoing commitment to strengthening good democratic governance and civil participation as essential elements of Ukraine's recovery, resilience, and European integration.
The visit to Lviv was organised within the framework of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine "Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction" 2023-2026 and the project "Strengthening multilevel governance and local democracy to support Ukraine's recovery", implemented by the Centre of Expertise for Multilevel Governance at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe.
