26/06/2026 | 11:04:56 Freedom of religion: a call to the Council of Europe. Dear Chair, Dear colleagues, Dear guests, Today, I want to talk about something that is too often ignored. Some 388 million Christians around the world cannot live their faith freely. They are discriminated against, intimidated, oppressed, and sometimes killed, simply because of what they believe. This is not only happening far away, but happening in member states of this Council. Who is doing this? Sometimes ordinary people, communities... 25/06/2026 | 18:15:24 Dear Chair, Dear colleagues, Freedom is a human right, including the right to a self-determined, respectful sexuality. One that builds, not destroys. Yet millions of children are being robbed of that freedom. A smartphone. One click. That's all it takes to enter a world of violent pornography. Not only on porn sites, but also on social media, messaging apps, even video games. The fact is alarming: 90% of online pornographic content contains violence against women. Half of all boys aged 12 to... 24/06/2026 | 16:00:49 Madam Chair, Ladies and Gentlemen, Democracy is built on trust. Trust in facts, trust in institutions, and above all, trust in every person's ability to make free and informed decisions. Today, that very foundation faces a new challenge: artificial intelligence. AI is transforming our world at an unprecedented pace. It can detect diseases earlier, make education more accessible, and strengthen citizen participation in political decision-making. It can explain complex issues and give a voice... 23/04/2026 | 11:54:55 Madam President, Dear colleagues, The Middle East is not near a crisis. It is in the fire. Cities burn. Families break. Children learn the geography of bomb shelters instead of the geography of their own country. And what do we do? We discuss! Let me say it plainly: this region is trapped in a spiral that feeds itself. Every rocket calls the next. Every strike breeds new revenge. Every night, another funeral, on both sides of every border. And always – always – it is the civilians who pay. A... 21/04/2026 | 18:54:16 Dear President, Dear colleagues, Religious freedom is not a marginal issue, it is at the heart of a free society. I would like to thank the rapporteur, but I would like to make it clear that Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights is not enough. We need to extend it, not restrict it. I would like to thank my esteemed colleague from Austria, Ms Andrea EDER-GITSCHTHALER, whose objection points in the right direction. Article 9 must also protect teaching, education and the... 30/01/2026 | 10:15:57 Dear Mister President, ladies and gentlemen. I am speaking today about multilateralism and I will start with a practical example. When a small state asserts its rights against a stronger one, when a person obtains justice from the European Court of Human Rights or when states jointly commit themselves to rules, then multilateralism shows itself to be in concrete effect. Power is limited by law. The Council of Europe was founded on the conviction that peace in Europe does not come from the... 29/01/2026 | 11:53:30 Dear President, ladies and gentlemen, We are facing a moral test today. The crises in the Middle East are not just geopolitical conflicts. They mean suffering, fear and disenfranchisement for millions of people and threaten the foundations of human dignity, religious freedom and international order. The escalating internal crises in Iran and Syria compel us to look and act immediately. Both countries are at decisive turning points, the consequences of which extend far beyond their borders... 28/01/2025 | 17:50:55 Mister President, ladies and gentlemen, Thank you for the draft report on the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Unfortunately, this report is not balanced. Why? The report is primarily based on data from the Ministry of Health in Gaza, which is under the control of the terrorist organisation Hamas. The report unfortunately relies on this biased data, ignoring credible and verified information from the Israeli authorities. In Switzerland, Hamas is classified as a terrorist organisation and it is... 01/10/2024 | 17:58:51 Dear Mister Chairman, Ladies and gentlemen, I am speaking on behalf of the Group of the European People's Party (EPP), and we clearly state that Azerbaijan must immediately consider how it wants to behave as part of the Council of Europe. I will start with a personal example, which was also discussed in detail in the Council of Ministers. I was blacklisted along with 75 other Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) members because of my vote on the credentials of the... 18/04/2024 | 17:43:41 Dear Mister President, Thank you, Madam Meirav BEN ARI. Thank you, Mister Bernard SABELLA for presenting your views. I will be brief, because the group spokespersons have already said the most important points. However, it is important to note that Israel is aware of the civilian needs in Gaza. We have heard that Israel is allowing the transfer of any amount of food, water and medicine. In recent days, the Israeli government has authorised the entry of aid through the Erez crossing and the...