30/10/2025 President
Speaking at the plenary session of the Nordic Council today, PACE President Theodoros Rousopoulos emphasised that although we have lived for almost eight decades in peace in Europe, this period “was only a parenthesis in history, which was rather made of long eras of tension, of wars, of injustice, interrupted by rare moments of peace”.
He thus called for the defence of the achievements that followed the Second World War against those who would once again bring violence back into history. “Europe must once again be present and leading – defending what was won through struggle and sacrifice, and what converges towards one essential truth: to give dignity back to our peoples,” he added.
President Rousopoulos was also a keynote speaker at an international seminar on the sidelines of the Nordic Council plenary session entitled “Northern Europe in Europe's new geopolitical context and its relations with the USA”.
Underlining in his speech that the world was no longer bipolar, but complex and unpredictable, he said that these shifts challenged not only our security, but also the very essence of democracy. “They also put the transatlantic relationship to the test, at the very moment when we need it most,” he said.
“The United States remains an observer state of our Organisation, and though the new administration may seem less eager to engage than in the past, we will continue to work closely with those in the U.S. administration and Congress who still believe in the principles that unite us,” said the PACE President.
Over the years, we have built a bridge between our Assembly and the U.S. Congress founded on mutual respect and a common vision of democracy. Through this bridge, we will continue to promote freedom of expression, judicial independence, equality and the protection of minorities. The transatlantic bond is not a relic of history; it is a responsibility,” Mr Rousopoulos concluded.
During his visit to Stockholm, the PACE President also met with the Speaker of the Swedish Parliament Andreas Norlén.
