21/08/2012 | President
“I take note of the decision of the Constitutional Court regarding the referendum on the dismissal of the Romanian President. All institutions and political players in Romania must abide by this decision,” today said PACE President Jean-Claude Mignon. “Once again, I call on all politicians to exercise wisdom and overcome their differences to ensure that cohabitation takes place under the best possible conditions,” he added.
17/08/2012 | President
PACE President Jean-Claude Mignon today voiced his concern at the two-year prison sentence handed down in Russia to three activists of the ‘Pussy Riot’ group. “In a democracy, the right to freedom of expression may be subject to conditions intended inter alia to protect morals and the rights of others. However, the penalties imposed must be proportionate to the seriousness of the offence. Bearing in mind the standards of the Council of Europe, a two-year prison sentence for the alleged acts is patently disproportionate,” the President said.
06/08/2012 | President
The President of the Assembly, Jean-Claude Mignon, today conveyed his message of support to the judges of the country’s Constitutional Court. “The role of the Constitutional Court is to guarantee respect for the Constitution and the laws, which is essential for the institutions to function democratically. It is thus crucial to safeguard its independence, and any political intrusion into its proceedings is unacceptable,” he said.
30/07/2012 | President
"I note the results of the referendum. I now call on all players in Romanian politics to overcome their differences and agree to work together to meet the major challenges which lie ahead of Romania in the coming weeks and months, showing the mutual respect without which democracy would be just a set of formal rules. I also urge them to safeguard the independence of the judiciary, which is vital to the establishment and strengthening of the rule of law," said PACE President after yesterday's referendum on dismissal of the President of Romania.
19/07/2012 | President
At the end of a fact-finding visit to Romania on 18 and 19 July 2012, a delegation consisting of the PACE President, Jean-Claude Mignon, together with Andreas Gross, Chairperson of the Socialist Group (SOC), and Anne Brasseur, Chairperson of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), today issued the following statement: “We are concerned at the haste with which profound political changes affecting the functioning of institutions in Romania have taken place without at the same time any true consideration or political debate..."
13/07/2012 | President
A PACE delegation made up of its President, Jean-Claude Mignon, and two representatives of the Assembly’s political groups (*) will make a fact-finding visit to Bucharest on 18 and 19 July 2012. The first day of the visit the delegation will meet with the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Valeriu Ştefan Zgonea, and the President a.i. of the Senate, Petru Filip, as well as with the Prime Minister, Victor Ponta. It will also meet the members of the Romanian delegation to the Assembly.
06/07/2012 | President
PACE President Jean-Claude Mignon today expressed his concern at developments in Romania. “As a member state of the Council of Europe, Romania must respect the commitments it has undertaken and European standards. The independence of the judiciary, in particular of the Constitutional Court, is an essential condition for the existence of the rule of law in any state,” he said.
06/07/2012 | President
Speakers of parliament from 23 countries are already signed up to address a major summit in September which will bring together parliamentary presidents from the 47 Council of Europe member states, as well as many neighbouring and observer countries.
05/07/2012 | President
PACE President Jean-Claude Mignon, addressing the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly today in Monaco, has hailed what he called the “growing complementarity” of the two parliamentary assemblies, and proposed a series of practical steps for them to work together better to observe elections, resolve frozen conflicts and co-ordinate their messages.
01/07/2012 | President
PACE President Jean-Claude Mignon this morning welcomed the international agreement on the establishment of a transitional government in Syria, following the international conference of the Action Group which was held in Geneva yesterday.
30/05/2012 | President
PACE's Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy, meeting today in Paris under the chairmanship of Pietro Marcenaro (Italy, SOC), made the following statement: “The Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy joins the international community and the President of the Assembly in condemning, in the strongest possible terms, the massacres perpetrated last weekend near the town of Houla, where more than a 100 people, mainly women and children, were savagely and summarily executed..."
30/05/2012 | President
Following the earthquake that hit north-eastern Italy yesterday, PACE President Jean-Claude Mignon has sent to the Presidents of the Italian Senate, Renato Giuseppe Schifani, and the Chamber of Deputies, Gianfranco Fini, the following letter of condolence...