21/04/2026 | 10:40:27 Thank you, Mister President. Dear colleagues, Across Europe, politicians are increasingly targeted by intimidation, harassment, hate speech and even physical violence. This trend is escalating, fueled by the rapid spread of online abuse, deep fakes and false narratives, often without consequences. The impact is serious. It undermines the democratic process and weakens trust in public institutions. This is not just a concern; it is a systematic threat. Condemnation alone is not enough. We must... 30/09/2025 | 17:32:24 Madam Chair, Dear colleagues, Kazakhstan is an important pillar of stability in the Eurasian region. We welcome its commitment to democratic reform, co-operation with European institutions and the abolition of of the death penalty. Recent reforms and the 2024-2027 priorities show real progress in governance, human rights and judicial reform. Still, challenges remain: ensuring pluralism, judicial independence, free expression and a strong civil society. Our role is to engage Kazakhstan as a... 30/09/2025 | 11:16:30 Dear President, dear colleagues. Türkiye is a founding member of this Council, bound by the European Convention of Human Rights. Yet leaders like Mr Selahattin DEMİRTAŞ and Mr Osman KAVALA remain in prison despite court rulings. Mayor Ekrem İMAMOĞLU faced political trials, while journalists, academics and civil society are silenced. These are not isolated cases, but part of a systematic effort to erode pluralism and concrete power. This is incompatible with the standards of the Council of... 25/06/2025 | 19:32:19 I am sure what Ms Saskia said represents all of us. Thank you, Mr FRIDEZ, for everything you have done all these years for this hemicycle and to the committees and everywhere. So, ladies and gentlemen, dear colleagues, the debate is closed. The Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development has presented a draft resolution to which no amendments have been tabled. We will now proceed to vote on the draft resolution contained in Document 16191. A simple majority is required... 25/06/2025 | 16:43:41 Cyprus has always valued its strong partnership with Israel. We condemned from the beginning the horrific Hamas attacks of October 2023 and we fully support Israel's right to security and self-defence. However, the scale of their response in Gaza has gone too far. Thousands of civilians have been killed. Homes, schools and hospitals are in ruins. Access to water, food and medical aid is dangerously limited. Gaza's population is facing a severe humanitarian crisis. This level of destruction... 09/04/2025 | 10:35:46 Thank you very much, Mister President. Dear colleagues, I commend rapporteur Mr Frank SCHWABE and the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs Secretariat for this excellent report. Updating our ethical standards is vital to maintaining our organisation's legitimacy and credibility. The values of the Council of Europe – democracy, rule of law and human rights – are not only our goals but also guide how we achieve them. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of... 01/10/2024 | 16:39:46 Dear colleagues, As noted during the summit in Reykjavik last year, the smuggling of migrants is a cross-border crime that demands close co-operation, both at regional and international levels. In our efforts to shape a comprehensive migration and asylum policy, it is important to address the root causes of migration and the main reasons that compel people to engage with criminal groups or illegal activities. It is also important to create more legal pathways and safe routes to reduce the... 01/10/2024 | 12:42:52 Secretary General, Recently, a number of cases concerning the usurpation of Greek Cypriot properties in the areas under Türkiye's occupation in Cyprus have been prosecuted. Nationals of Council of Europe member states have been convicted on charges relating to the commercial exploitation and development of these properties. We ask that, in line with the recent decision of the Committee of Ministers to maintain the supervision of the execution of the European Court of Human Rights in the... 10/10/2023 | 17:31:42 Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Dear colleagues, In Europe, the surge of far-right movements and parties has contributed to the erosion of our democracies. Targeting minority groups based on ethnic or religious background leads to discrimination, hate speech and hate crimes, greatly compromising basic human rights. The rise of populism, nationalism and polarisation threatens social cohesion and weakens democratic societies. The eruption of new conflicts and war in the wider region, such as... 09/10/2023 | 16:02:00 Thank you very much, Mister President. Dear colleagues, As co-rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly for the Council of Europe for the post-monitoring dialogue with Montenegro, I should note that, as we have observed through the general conduct of both the recent presidential and the parliamentary elections in the country, Montenegro shows strong signs of commitment towards ensuring stronger democratic governance and further political, social and economic stability. The newly elected...