28/01/2026 | 10:56:51 Dear Mister President, A recent survey of 18-30 year olds in France shows that while young people may be distrustful of politicians, they are far from being depoliticised: they keep themselves informed, admittedly mainly through social networks; they get involved in sport, humanitarian aid and culture; and they sign online petitions. I see this regularly when I give talks in secondary schools on the role of members of parliament: the pupils are very interested. And yet they vote very little... 27/01/2026 | 16:28:07 Thank you, Madam Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, dear colleagues, Digital interference is a major component of the "hybrid" threat and a particularly serious threat to the functioning of our democracies. Elections are a prime target. The aim is simple: to break the bond of trust between citizens and the institutions responsible for representing them. The development of disinformation and "fake news" undermines the credibility of the electoral process. A wide range of techniques are being used... 25/06/2025 | 10:40:31 Thank you, Mister Chairman, Ladies and gentlemen, Article 50 of the Olympic Charter clearly sets out the principle of political, as well as religious, neutrality in sport. In 2019, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas BACH asked the national committees: "Focus on the unity of sport, focus on what unites us and not on what divides us or on those who try to divide us." Because that's what it's all about. To question neutrality in sport is to reject the universality and... 29/01/2025 | 18:56:21 Thank you, Mister Chairman. Madam rapporteur, Ladies and gentlemen, Europe is ageing, and its economic equilibrium is threatened, but Europe continues to attract large numbers of migrants. Madam rapporteur, You have put forward a number of ideas, some of which I think are highly relevant and positive, while others are more questionable. Faced with an ageing population, everyone agrees that governments must take measures to encourage the birth rate. Europe is not the only region of the world... 28/01/2025 | 11:26:33 Thank you, Madam President, Madam rapporteur, thank you for your report. Ladies and gentlemen, Eighty years after the creation of the United Nations and the Council of Europe, the multilateral system and global governance set up after the Second World War to consolidate peace are under threat. International relations are evolving in an increasingly polarised environment, with an unfortunate rise in authoritarianism, nationalism, isolationism and power struggles. The number of conflicts is at... 17/04/2024 | 16:34:02 Thank you, Mister Chairman. Madam rapporteur, rapporteurs, Thank you for your work in presenting these reports. We learned of Alexei Navalny's death with dismay and sadness. In the end, his exceptional courage and tenacious determination proved insufficient in the face of the growing relentlessness of a totalitarian regime that shies away from all forms of violence. Alexei Navalny should never have been imprisoned. His nineteen-year prison sentence had no serious basis. The accusations... 16/04/2024 | 14:39:49 Madam Secretary General, You have been elected Secretary General of the Council of Europe on 26 June 2019. First of all, on my own behalf and on behalf of the Group of the European People's Party, I would like to thank you for the five years you have spent at the service of our institution. The Russian Federation's aggression against Ukraine has brutally and permanently destabilised our continent. The Council of Europe was the first international organisation to react by excluding the Russian... 22/01/2024 | 16:14:25 Thank you, Mister Chairman. Congratulations, President ROUSOPOULOS, on your election. You will be President for the 75th anniversary of the Council. Your words this morning testify to your willingness to listen to everyone, and that's important. Of course, I would also like to express my sincere thanks to President Tiny KOX, who has managed to deal with some difficult situations within our institution. His open-mindedness and determination have enabled the Parliamentary Assembly of the... 11/10/2023 | 19:45:39 Tank you, Mr Chairman, First of all, I'd like to thank our colleague Ms Béatrice FRESKO-ROLFO for her remarkable work on a serious and much underestimated subject. The #Metoo movement has raised awareness of violence against women, but unfortunately has had no noticeable effect on the particular situation of women with disabilities, which is still largely ignored and passed over in silence. Disability makes women even more vulnerable, because of the gender inequalities that still persist. The... 10/10/2023 | 19:31:07 Thank you, Mister Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, I've always considered the periodic reviews of member states to be a source of improvement, and as such, necessary and welcome. This report, on the other hand, makes me wonder about the wisdom of such an exercise. You state in paragraph 12 of your report that you believe you have produced an objective report. Allow me to tell you that this is not the case, that it is quite the contrary. Your report is politically biased, based on a total...