The Pact of Free Cities continues to grow. At this year's summit held on 12 May in Bratislava, ten additional cities from the United States joined the alliance. Vienna has been an official member of the initiative since 2021. The pact, which promotes democracy and the rule of law, was launched in 2019 by the mayors of Bratislava, Budapest, Prague and Warsaw.
Since its expansion in 2021, the Pact of Free Cities has gained a global presence. With Los Angeles and the Taiwanese cities of Taipei and Taoyuan, non-European cities joined the network for the first time. At this year's summit, ten more US cities were admitted, including Chicago, Boston, Seattle, San Diego and San Antonio.
The member cities also supported a nomination of the city of Minneapolis for the Nobel Peace Prize, initiated by the US magazine "The Nation". Peaceful public demonstrations last winter and networks of mutual aid within the local community were particularly highlighted.
The Pact of Free Cities focuses on security and overcoming crises
During a public evening event held in the Hall of Mirrors at the Primate's Palace in Bratislava and broadcast live, participating mayors discussed pressing issues regarding the protection of democratic values, particularly considering geopolitical tensions. The first panel, which Kyiv's Mayor, Vitali Klitschko, joined online, focused on measures to ensure the safety of citizens in urban areas. The second panel centred on the role of cities as safe havens for democratic values. Guests included Jacob Frey, Mayor of Minneapolis, and Gina Ortiz Jones, Mayor of San Antonio, who joined the discussion online.
During the meeting, the member cities also agreed to further develop the network's structures. In future, a secretariat will be established in Budapest, and plans are underway to create an international executive committee. The American partner organisation ALLIES will also support the cooperation. Omar Al-Rawi, a member of the Vienna City Council and the Vienna Provincial Parliament, attended the summit in Bratislava on behalf of Vienna.