02/10/2025 Session
Against a context of democratic backsliding and erosion of public trust in institutions, the Parliamentary Assembly considers that political parties “are an essential motor for democratic renewal”, and has called them to reconnect with citizens.
According to the resolution adopted by PACE, based on the report by Ingjerd Schie Schou (Norway, EPP/CD), political parties bear a particular responsibility for safeguarding democratic cohesion and stability. “Without political parties, pluralism cannot be meaningfully represented and parliaments cannot function effectively. Parties are the cornerstone of representative democracy,” the parliamentarians emphasised.
In order to strengthen the representational link to citizens and responsiveness to citizens’ expectations, PACE encouraged political parties to “widen opportunities for political participation” by enhancing intermediary structures such as local branches, affiliated organisations, unions and civil society platforms.
PACE also proposed measures to combat issues of under-representation, calling on political parties to adopt strategies for inclusion and invited them to promote diversity across their internal functioning by endorsing the revised Charter of European Political Parties for a Non-Racist and Inclusive Society.
Finally, with regard to safeguarding integrity, the Parliamentary Assembly called on member states to “enhance national frameworks governing financial contributions to political parties”, advertising and electoral campaigns to mitigate the risk of inappropriate or illicit foreign financial interference.