An international conference "Money and Democracy - an Uneasy Relationship" organised by the Council of Europe's Venice Commission and the Academy for European Human Rights Protection (University of Cologne, Germany) is to explore how the undue influence of "big money" on democratic decision-making can be exposed, monitored, and prevented.
Inspired by experimental legislation on "de-oligarchisation" in Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova to reduce the negative influence of "oligarchs" on public life, the conference, on 7 and 8 December, will also tackle lobbying and the financing of political parties and election campaigns, money behind the media, and foreign money and foreign influence, with many discussions based on Venice Commission opinions.
Claire Bazy Malaurie, President of the Venice Commission, and Despina Chatzivassiliou-Tsovilis, Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, will open the conference.
A concluding panel on Friday will include Ukraine Minister of Justice Denys Maliuska and former Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou, the Chairperson of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly's subcommittee on democracy.
