On 12 May 2026, the Annual Coordination meeting of the European Local Democracy Week (ELDW)'s 2025 edition took place on the sidelines of the ACT NOW Mayors Conference in the 2026 European Capital of Democracy (ECoD), Cascais, Portugal. The highlight of the meeting was the launch of the European Local Democracy Action (ELDA) which will replace the ELDW as from 2026.
The meeting was chaired by Congress Spokesperson on the ELDA Marcin Golaszewski (Poland, EPP/CCE) and featured presentations by 11 municipalities from several Council of Europe member States, showcasing best practices in local citizen participation. Following the meeting, participants received the Certificate of the 2025 ELDW Partner Status in a ceremony led by Congress Secretary General Mathieu Mori.
In partnership with the ECoD, represented by CEO Helfried Carl, the Congress also launched the ELDA Award for Local Citizens Engagement. The Award will recognise an outstanding citizen engagement project implemented by a municipality, region, or association of local and regional authorities. The winner of the first ELDA Award, chosen by a citizen jury, will be announced during the first Award ceremony in October 2026 in Cascais, as part of ECoD's Innovation in Politics Awards.
