Cities Standing for Democracy

The recent arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, a prominent opposition leader and key rival to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, is a troubling example of democratic backsliding. The move underscores the critical role cities and city leaders play in defending democracy by showing that authoritarian and backsliding regimes often see them as threats. 

In an immediate response to the arrest, mayors across Europe and beyond have called for İmamoğlu's release. They warn that attacks on municipal leaders mark “a new stage” in Türkiye’s democratic decline. The Pact of Free Cities, a network established to help cities resist growing illiberalism, also strongly condemned the arrest and urged the international community to push back against the erosion of democratic institutions.

With democracy worldwide in decline for 19 consecutive years, according to Freedom House, cities have increasingly stepped up to stem the tide against illiberalism and authoritarianism. They need to continue to do so with more intention and resources. To aid the effort, GMF partnered in 2023 with the Pact of Free Cities and the Global Parliament of Mayors to obtain the signatures of more than 250 mayors in more than 50 countries on the Global Declaration of Mayors for Democracy. This declaration affirms the mayors’ unwavering commitment to rebuilding and reinforcing democracy, standing up for free and fair elections at home and abroad, defending the rule of law at all levels of government, and addressing urban challenges through the lens of democracy and democratic values.

Cities are at the forefront of demonstrating that democracy can deliver for people. Too often, local leaders are seen as mere service providers—focused on tasks such as fixing potholes or collecting waste—rather than essential actors in democracy. But critical issues that shape experiences of democracy—housing, employment, education, and safety—are generally dealt with locally. Moreover, among all levels of government, local administrations are generally the most trusted. Efforts that seek to reverse growing distrust of and disillusionment with democracy should, therefore, have a local focus.

The role of cities as essential actors in strengthening democracy has led GMF Cities to work with municipal officials, experts, and local stakeholders to advance democratic practices. These include combatting information manipulation, strengthening social cohesion, supporting local journalism, and increasing youth engagement. But city officials are not just upholding democratic values, they are innovating to improve practices and building coalitions with local partners across sectors and with other cities around the world.

Such coalitions can spread effective democratic practices, provide mutual support across borders, and pressure political parties, national governments, and multilateral institutions to take a firm stand against authoritarian backsliding. The Pact of Free Cities, founded in 2019 by the mayors of Bratislava, Budapest, Prague, and Warsaw, is a good example of this. İmamoğlu’s arrest, meanwhile, is the latest example of the targeting of city leaders for standing up for democratic values.

His detention is also a stark reminder of the importance of cities in the fight for democracy, and of activating and empowering cities to defend democratic norms. In an era marked by democratic erosion, global uncertainty, and shifts in geopolitics, cities need to be prepared for emboldened authoritarians and other illiberal forces. Cities that champion democracy deserve support to become bulwarks against backsliding.