Defending democracy starts by protecting Europe’s mayors and councillors

Local democracy is the human face of politics. It’s the school a family relies on, the flood barrier protecting a neighbourhood, the services that keep daily life running. It’s also where public service is most visible and most vulnerable.

Across Europe, mayors and local councillors are facing a disturbing rise in harassment, threats, disinformation, and even physical violence.

These aren’t isolated incidents — they are a growing pattern. And they’re not “just politics”. They are deliberate attempts to silence, intimidate, and push people out of public life.

As Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) president Gunn Marit Helgesen put it: "Local democracy is Europe’s first line of defence”.

When local leaders are attacked, so is the foundation of our democratic society. Our reflections start from the need for better, comparable data to understand the phenomenon properly. Only with that evidence can EU institutions be equipped to develop more effective policies to protect local democracy.

A recent CEMR study on mis/disinformation and its impact on democracy reveals the scale of the problem.

Nearly half of local and regional governments report significant harm from misinformation — especially in areas like public health, election integrity, and personal attacks. One-in-four local officials has faced online abuse. Over half say they’ve been targeted by false claims.

And these threats spike during crises — when communities most need resolute and credible leadership.

When intimidation becomes the cost of participation, democracy shrinks — and it shrinks unevenly.

Erasing female, minority, LGBTQI+ and disabled voices

Women in politics are often targeted with gendered abuse, especially online. The data CEMR has collected shows how nearly one-in-three women surveyed across 31 countries reported experiencing violence in their political careers. Few report it — fearing nothing will change, or worse, that it will escalate.

Other groups face their own forms of targeted harassment. Politicians with migrant or minority backgrounds are smeared with racist narratives.

LGBTQI+ representatives face outing threats and sexualised abuse. Disabled officials must navigate both online attacks and inaccessible political spaces.

This is why political violence is so corrosive. It’s not just about safety — it’s about whose voices are seen as legitimate, and whose are punished.

The cost is real.

In the latest episode of CEMR podcast Call Simone, we spoke with Eider Inunciaga (Bilbao City Council) and Gianmarco Daniele (CLEAN unit, Bocconi University) about the growing intimidation of local politicians.

Faced with threats, many local leaders withdraw — from social media, from public visibility, or from politics altogether. When that happens, communities lose experienced leaders, councils lose diversity, and democracy loses ground.

Europe cannot afford this erosion. At a time of demographic change — with ageing communities, growing urban–rural divides, and new needs in care, housing and local services — we need more people, not fewer, to step up and represent the full reality of Europe today.

We also need real intergenerational dialogue, so younger Europeans see politics as a place where they can shape decisions, not a space reserved for those who can endure intimidation.

And in societies shaped by migration, inclusion is not a slogan: it is a prerequisite for legitimacy and social cohesion. That is why we need a political culture where disagreement is robust, but never weaponised.

To respond to this growing pressure, on 11 December in Brussels, the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) launched the European Observatory for the Defence of Democracy at the Local Level — the first initiative of its kind dedicated to monitoring and tackling attacks and intimidations against local officials. 

The Observatory is a partnership between CEMR, the city council of Bilbao, the Association of Basque Municipalities (EUDEL), with the scientific expertise of Bocconi University and the support of the Basque government.

Our aim is simple: turn scattered experiences into evidence, and evidence into action.

We will generate data, analyse trends and share solutions that work to deliver evidence-based recommendations to European and national institutions.

Mayors and councillors need practical tools and resources to respond to threats. Police and judicial systems must treat intimidation and harassment — online and offline — with the seriousness they deserve, and victims must be supported through the process. Online platforms also have a critical role and must stop rewarding fake content that dehumanises.

Just as importantly, we must name the intersectional reality of these attacks. If protection measures are designed around a 'default' politician, they will fail the people most targeted. Safety policies must account for sexist and sexualised abuse, racist harassment, homophobia and transphobia, and ableism.

Political spaces must be physically and digitally accessible, and public communication must be inclusive by design — not as an afterthought.

Democracy is not only a set of institutions. It is a practice. And it begins locally.

If we allow intimidation to decide who participates, we will end up with councils that are smaller, whiter, and less representative — and with citizens who feel ever further away from decision-making. Defending local representatives is therefore not a niche issue. It is a democratic necessity.

The Observatory is our contribution, but it will only matter if it is met with collective action. Europe needs a clear message: public service should never require sacrificing safety, dignity or identity.

Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.