02/10/2019 | 20:12:35 Madam Chair, ladies and gentlemen, First of all I would like to congratulate the rapporteurs for their detailed report. In my opinion, the report portrays the situation in a realistic and objective way and therefore, deserves praise. We consider the mechanisms and expertise of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe as essential for the overall democratic development of the country. Objectively pointing out areas where improvement is needed is the best way to contribute to... 02/10/2019 | 10:56:13 Thank you, dear Colleagues. First of all, I would like to thank Lord Richard BALFE for his comprehensive report. I support the proposal to establish common standards governing the functioning of ombudsman institutions in line with the Venice Principles. In any society where an institution of this kind exists, it is a mechanism that contributes substantially to the functioning of the rule of law and is one of the key indicators of the development of the country's democratic processes. The... 01/10/2019 | 11:15:50 Thank you Madam Chair. Dear colleagues, I would like to thank the rapporteur for his excellent report. I fully agree with Mr Sylvain WASERMAN that without whistle-blowers, it will be impossible to resolve many of the challenges to our democracies, such as fighting against grand corruption and money-laundering, as well as new challenges such as threats to individual freedom through the mass abuse of personal data or activities causing serious environmental harm or threats to public health... 11/04/2019 | 16:09:03 In light of the recent high-profile scandals in several European banks, it is clear that the European Union, together with the Council of Europe, should adopt further measures against money laundering. The failure to prevent money laundering endangers the European project. The cases provide an unsettling reminder of banks’ capacity to threaten European unity through individually profitable but institutionally destructive acts of greed. Although the European Union has strengthened its anti... 10/04/2019 | 15:48:48 Congratulations to Ms Elvira KOVÁCS and Mr Goran BEUS RICHEMBERGH on these crucial and useful reports. Hate speech is an extreme form of intolerance that contributes to hate crime. If left unaddressed, it can lead to acts of violence and conflict on a wider scale. Hate speech is not free speech, because no one should speak as they please with no regard for the consequences of what they say. We very often hear about the right to freedom of speech, but mention is rarely made of the... 09/04/2019 | 17:15:01 First, congratulations on this very useful report. Dear colleagues, democracy and the rule of law are equally important and mutually supportive. In fact, the rule of law is a precondition for democracy but in a democracy, where the majority rules, there is also a danger of violating the needs of some people rather than others. To avoid any abuse of power and control the principle of law so that it can be applied coherently, it is necessary to have the protection of human rights. The core... 23/01/2019 | 16:04:59 Democratic elections are one of the supreme direct expressions of the power and will of the people. One of their fundamental aims is to give electorates a legitimate opportunity to exercise their political rights and vote for the political parties and candidates of their choice. Elections are essential to democracy, and democratic elections are impossible without the media. The media act as a watchdog, safeguarding the transparency of democratic elections. They play an important role in all... 22/01/2019 | 11:05:01 All initiatives start with the question, “What is to be achieved?” In this case, the goal of updating these guidelines is to provide better organisation and realisation of referendums in Council of Europe member states. Referendums are very important, as they are one of the few forms of direct democracy in today’s developed, representative democracies. Referendums enable us to understand the attitudes of citizens, who are indisputably sovereign in modern states in today’s global world. That...