78th Congress of the International Commission for the History of Representative and Parliamentary Institutions

The 78th Congress of the International Commission for the History of Representative and Parliamentary Institutions (ICHRPI) will bring together historians, legal scholars, political scientists and heritage professionals to reflect on the historical development of representative institutions and their relevance to contemporary democratic societies.

Founded in 1936, the ICHRPI is an international scholarly network dedicated to the study of representative and parliamentary institutions across different historical periods and geographical contexts. The 2026 congress, organised by the Spanish Commission for the History of Representative and Parliamentary Institutions in collaboration with Pompeu Fabra University and other partner institutions, will feature keynote lectures, thematic panels and roundtables exploring the evolution of parliamentary systems, constitutional cultures and democratic governance.

Historical memory and European institutions

As part of its collaboration with the congress, the European Observatory on Memories (EUROM) organises the roundtable Historical Memory and European Representative Institutions: the European Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, which will take place on 4 September. Moderated by Fernanda Zanuzzi (EUROM), the session will bring together Oriol López Badell (EUROM), Martí Grau Segú (Maison Jean Monnet) and Jordi Xuclà (Catalan Council of the European Movement).

The roundtable will examine how European representative institutions have contributed to shaping remembrance policies and public debates on democracy, human rights, totalitarianism and Europe’s difficult past. Drawing on EUROM’s experience in the field of memory policies, the speakers will explore the evolution of European remembrance from post-war reconciliation to a more plural and contested field of governance. Particular attention will be paid to the role of the European Parliament, which has become the European Union’s leading arena for remembrance through resolutions, debates and commemorative initiatives, and to the contribution of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in promoting democratic values and a shared European memory.

Strengthening cooperation on memory and democracy

EUROM’s participation in the congress reflects its longstanding commitment to fostering dialogue between historical research, public history and European memory policies. It also reinforces the Observatory’s collaboration with Pompeu Fabra University and other academic and institutional partners working to promote interdisciplinary research on democracy, representative institutions and historical memory.

By bringing together scholars and practitioners from across Europe, the congress provides an opportunity to exchange perspectives on the historical evolution of representative institutions while reaffirming the importance of memory as a fundamental dimension of democratic culture and European integration.

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• Reference of the Project: 101236354
• Type of activity: Awareness Raising
• Title: Networking
• Date: September 4, 2026
• 4 Days
• Physical event
• Barcelona, Spain