26/06/2026 | 11:06:59 Thank you very much, Madam President. My topic is freedom – and the freedom that cash gives people. Banknotes and coins are far more than just a means of payment. They represent a significant measure of freedom. Cash enables us to participate in economic life without being dependent on technical systems, the electricity supply or internet connections. In times of rapid technological change, we must be more aware than ever that progress is only sustainable if it strengthens people’s freedom... 25/06/2026 | 12:55:39 Mister Vice-President Ladies and gentlemen, Sport inspires people all over the world. It conveys values such as fairness, respect, achievement and, yes, humility and modesty too. As luck would have it, I am speaking after Mr Achim VOGT, the four-time Olympian. He could also have mentioned that on 3 December 1994 in Tignes in France, he won the Ski World Cup giant slalom race, finishing ahead of Switzerland’s Mike von GRÜNIGEN, Norway’s Kjetil André AAMODT and Alberto TOMBA from Italy. It’s... 24/06/2026 | 12:03:58 Madam President, Colleagues, As a politician, figuratively speaking, I am probably one of the last of my kind. I am 100% inactive on social media, and I most likely use artificial intelligence (AI) less than the vast majority of people here in this Chamber. Now to the report: it certainly contains some good points, but it is based on an assumption which has, I am afraid to say, become the political consensus today, namely that artificial intelligence is a threat to democracy from which we... 24/04/2026 | 10:49:07 Honourable Madam President, Dear colleagues, My topic is the protection of citizens in our countries, in the countries of the Council of Europe. We have had an intensive week. We are now all heading back home and returning to the core tasks for which we were elected in our countries. The various institutions in our home countries have to ensure that decent people are doing as well as possible and that criminal organisations and criminals are doing as badly as possible, so that they can't get... 22/04/2026 | 19:21:02 Madam Vice-President, ladies and gentlemen, I am not a party to this legal dispute, nor am I an expert or pseudo-expert on the subject. Nor am I a journalist who is spreading blatant untruths in various languages on the Swissinfo channel. In recent months, weeks and days, we have heard a great deal from such people in this story, not only in the media, but also in the meetings of the political groups and in the deliberations of the committees, the relevant committee of this Parliamentary... 30/01/2026 | 10:33:57 Dear Chairman, ladies and gentlemen. I am going to talk about democracy. The USA left the World Health Organization (WHO) this year with clearly formulated criticism. The WHO responds to such accusations from the USA and other countries around the world verbatim. Quote from the beginning: "The WHO recommended the use of masks, vaccines, physical distancing, but at no time did it recommend mandatory masks, mandatory vaccination and lockdowns. We supported sovereign governments to make... 03/10/2025 | 12:10:13 Dear President, esteemed guests, I would like to say a few words about trust in the people and about someone who has placed this trust in people. It is about putting the welfare of citizens above that of politicians. Mr Alfred HEER is no longer with us. This is a great loss for the Council of Europe, for friends of democracy, for those who fight against corruption and for all of us who knew him personally. Mr Alfred HEER spoke with clarity. He never chose the easy path, but the one that... 30/09/2025 | 17:34:04 Madam Vice-President, members of the Assembly, In recent years, Kazakhstan has made great efforts to overhaul and modernise its political system and strengthen its democratic institutions. These efforts are reflected in the improvement of electoral procedures and the expansion of political representation, the bolstering of the multi-party system and the strengthening of Parliament. Of particular importance to me is the commitment to greater transparency. All these steps show that Kazakhstan... 27/06/2025 | 10:36:10 Dear President, Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to say a few words about the relationship between the Council of Europe and the EU. The last week and even more so the last few months have prompted me to reflect on the Council of Europe, in particular the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. We actually agree that the Council of Europe should be an umbrella for human rights, democracy and the rule of law for the citizens of all 46 member states. Unfortunately, this sense of... 25/06/2025 | 10:48:06 I'm convinced that sport has the power to drive change in our societies as a tool for diplomacy, a catalyst for social inclusion and a force for promoting fairness and equality. Let's be specific. When we talk about the IOC, when we talk about FIFA, when we talk about global associations, we go out into the wider world, beyond the borders of our member countries. Since 2017, FIFA has aligned with the Council of Europe recommendations by embedding human rights requirements into its bidding and...