In recent years, an alarming trend has been observed across the continent: mayors, local councilors and other elected representatives of local government are increasingly becoming the targets of harassment, threats, disinformation campaigns and even physical violence. This warning comes from the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, and other organizations.
According to data from CEMR and the recently launched European Observatory on Local Democracy (ODAL), over the past two years, the number of cases of online harassment, organized hate campaigns, direct threats, and physical attacks has increased significantly in almost all EU countries. Female politicians, representatives of minorities, and mayors of small municipalities are particularly affected.
In 2024–2025, the following alarming trends were observed in a number of countries:
In France, around 40% of mayors of small municipalities reported acts of intimidation, and more than a quarter are considering resigning;
In Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy, many mayors avoid public events for safety reasons.
In the UK, local councilors, according to the victims themselves, are subjected to violence and threats even more often than members of parliament;
Across Europe, there has been an increase in gender-based and racist violence against female mayors and councilors.
In response to the crisis, Europe’s first ODAL Observatory was launched in December 2025. It will systematically collect data on cases of pressure on local politicians, analyze trends, and develop recommendations for protection. The initiative was supported by the city of Bilbao, the Association of Basque Municipalities (EUDEL), Bocconi University, and the Basque Country government.
Experts are calling on EU governments and law enforcement agencies to treat threats and attacks against local elected officials with the same seriousness as attacks against national politicians: to increase penalties, simplify procedures for recording incidents, and provide psychological and legal support to victims.
Local government remains the level of authority closest to the people and, at the same time, the most vulnerable link in European democracy in the face of growing polarization, disinformation and aggression. The future of Europe’s democratic institutions as a whole depends largely on how effectively mayors and councilors can be protected.