The Research Network held its largest workshop to date at the Technical University of Darmstadt on 15–16 November 2025, bringing together 30 participants on site and 16 colleagues joining online. The record turnout reflects both the group's growing momentum and its increasingly broad geographical reach.

The workshop marked the launch of preparations for a new survey of mayors (Mayors III). The questionnaire is set to be finalised at the next workshop, taking place 7–10 May 2026 at La Cristalera, north of Madrid.

Several working group members are also involved in a parallel project on the Professionalisation and Politicisation of Local Government in Europe (ProfLoc). Participants agreed to prepare country reports ahead of the La Cristalera workshop. These drafts will inform a shared framework for national contributions to a joint publication, with the goal of identifying key actors navigating the tension between professionalisation and politicisation at the local government level — who will later serve as the target group for a dedicated survey.

The Research Network convened in Sarajevo on 16–17 May 2024 to address the final steps in publishing the results of the municipal councillors survey. The findings will appear in a two-volume publication with Palgrave Macmillan, due out in 2026.

The meeting also served as an opportunity to plan future activities. Members agreed to carry forward the group's tradition of mayoral research with a third survey of mayors, building on two previous surveys conducted over the past 20 years.