16/04/2024 | 16:23:51 Mister Chairman, Ladies and gentlemen, Today we are dealing with a very important and topical report. I would like to congratulate the rapporteur, Mr Lulzim BASHA, for his excellent work on supporting the reconstruction of Ukraine. The Council of Europe has acted decisively since Russia launched its brutal war of aggression against Ukraine and its people in 2022. The war has caused the loss of many innocent lives, but has also caused extensive damage to Ukraine's private and public... 11/10/2023 | 16:47:04 Thank you, Mister President. Dear colleagues, the news what we have here and see from Israel is extremely shocking. Hamas' brutal attack has led the whole Israeli territory under fear and cruelty. The attack is totally against international law and human rights agreements. It is almost impossible to describe the cruelties that we have seen and what is happening in the area. Families and children are killed in their homes. We strongly support Israel in their fight against Hamas terrorist... 10/10/2023 | 17:59:17 Thank you, Madam President. Only two hours ago we got shocking news from Finland and Estonia. It seems that someone has destroyed the gas pipeline which connects Finland and Baltic country Estonia, and it's not difficult to guess who is behind this terrorism. The gas pipeline is very important for us, because thanks to that we can live without Russian blood gas. But now it's not any more possible to connect Finland and the Baltic countries. It's clear that in this kind of situation when... 09/10/2023 | 17:04:30 Thank you. Thank you Mister President. Dear colleagues, I must say how deeply sad I am watching the negative development of rule of law and human rights in Europe. We see escalation after escalation. In the current geopolitical situation I must say that the role of the Council of Europe has only increased. Kosovo is an independent state. It's clear that we need to attach Kosovo into the European human rights system better in the future. The situation in Northern Kosovo is very alarming. The... 29/09/2021 | 12:03:06 Thank you, Madam Chair. Dear colleagues, Regarding the practical implementation of climate policy, the active involvement of citizens is an essential element which we should never disregard. As Mr George PAPANDREOU reminds us in his excellent report, the fundamental premise here is to use people's own language. The language we use must always be clear and explicit when we are talking about climate impacts and actions needed. We should keep in mind that there is a huge risk if solutions are... 28/09/2021 | 12:53:12 Thank you, Madame President, Social equality is the basis where we built human rights and democracy. Throughout Europe, differences between regions in livelihood and wealth are large. These differences are apparent especially in rural areas. There are many aspects explaining this phenomenon. The key issue is the level of industrialisation in the region. If there is very little industry in the area, it is often more undeveloped in socio-economic terms. In addition, another central question is... 21/06/2021 | 19:59:36 (Undelivered speech, Rules of Procedure Art. 31.2) Madam President, dear colleagues, I am happy to agree with previous speakers who have strongly condemned the prosecution of Turkish and Spanish parliamentarians. A politician’s wide freedom of speech, especially in parliamentary but also in public debate, are preconditions for the realization of democracy. As Mr. Cilevics underlines in his report, it does not allow for politicians to use hate speech, instigate violence or to weaken democracy... 28/01/2020 | 17:14:14 Thank you, Madam President. On behalf of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe group, let me start by congratulating our esteemed colleague, Lord George FOULKES, for this excellent and timely report. Journalism is an indispensable fourth pillar in Montesquieu’s separation of powers. It plays an essential role in democratic societies as it questions decision-making, reveals wrongdoings and presents us with sometimes also inconvenient facts. A free and functioning media is the only... 28/01/2020 | 11:26:01 Thank you, Madam President. Dear colleagues, I want to thank the rapporteurs for their profound work for this serious issue. Let me also announce my deep concern about the developments in Poland. A neutral and independent justice system and judiciary creates the ground for a legitimate democracy and human rights. It is the foundation for western democracy. The Polish reform of the justice system does not respect these core principles. If the government of Poland implements this new... 24/06/2019 | 17:56:16 Thank you, Mrs President. As politicians, our aim is to stand up for the common good, to accomplish good developments in our societies and in the whole world. For me personally, Human rights are always in the center. For this organisation, for the Council of Europe, of which the impact to the history of our continent has been remarkable, universal Human rights are always the very foundation. To create progress we have to compromise. All the time, we have to compromise. During the Finnish...