Mayors from all over Europe to launch 'European Capital of Democracy' initiative

VIENNA, Sept. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- This Friday, 18 September, mayors from various European countries will launch the Europe-wide initiative "European Capital of Democracy" in Vienna - at the invitation of Mayor Michael Ludwig and the Innovation in Politics Institute and under the patronage of the Vice-President of the European Commission, Dubravka Šuica, and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić.

Unfortunately, the founding event in the festival hall of Vienna City Hall had to be cancelled due to the aggravated COVID-19 situation. Therefore, the launch of the initiative will take place digitally. 

Three online Round Tables for media representatives on 18 September, afternoon

On 18 September 2020, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., three high-level round tables will be held. Please note that for organisational reasons and in order to allow for individual questioning, only a limited number of media representatives will be admitted.

At these press round tables, you will hear from mayors of major European cities what they have done and plan to do to strengthen democracy. Journalists will also gain an insight into the next steps of the European Capital of Democracy Initiative. The discussions will be moderated by Helfried Carl, co-founder of the initiative and Managing Partner of the Innovation in Politics Institute.

Participants at the online Round Tables:

• Dubravka Šuica, Vice-President for Democracy and Demography, European Commission
• Kostas Bakoyannis, Mayor of Athens, Greece
• Jürgen Czernohorszky, Executive City Councillor for Education, Integration, Youth and Personnel of Vienna, Austria
• Aleksandra Dulkiewicz, Mayor of Gdansk, Poland
• Yordanka Fandakova, Mayor of Sofia, Bulgaria
• Peter Feldmann, Lord Mayor of Frankfurt am Main, Germany
• Zdeněk Hřib, Lord Mayor of Prague, Czech Republic
• Gergely Karácsony, Lord Mayor of Budapest, Hungary
• Hermano Sanches Ruivo, Deputy Mayor for European Affairs, Paris, France
• Rafał Trzaskowski, Mayor of Warsaw, Poland
• Matúš Vallo, Mayor of Bratislava, Slovakia
• Erion Veliaj, Mayor of Tirana, Albania

You can now register for these online round tables. We ask you to register asap by e-mail to Robert Schafleitner, media@innovationinpolitics.eu

About the "European Capital of Democracy" initiative

By launching the European Capital of Democracy Initiative, mayors and international organisations want to make a real contribution to strengthening democracy in Europe. The initiative was founded by the Innovation in Politics Institute together with international partners. From 2021 onwards, each year one city will be awarded the title and thereby implement a comprehensive programme to strengthen democracy. Furthermore, international organisations will be invited to contribute by implementing successful activities in the respective city - international conferences, cultural festivals, educational programmes, summer camps for young citizens and much more.