19/05/2026 | Monitoring
Ending a three-day visit to Warsaw, the co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) for the monitoring of Poland, Christophe Brico (Monaco, EPP/CD) and Didier Marie (France, SOC), have reiterated their concern at the level of polarisation within the country. “Key...
15/05/2026 | President
PACE President Petra Bayr has welcomed the political declaration on the European Convention on Human Rights which was adopted today by the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers – and urged member states to “talk about us” to their citizens so that the Convention’s role in protecting them...
15/05/2026 | Equality and Non-Discrimination
“The protection of the rights of LGBTI persons lies at the heart of our democratic values” stressed Kate Osborne (United Kingdom, SOC), PACE General Rapporteur on the rights of LGBTI persons, on the International Day Against Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Biphobia, Transphobia and Intersexphobia (17...
13/05/2026 | Elections
Following a two-day visit to Yerevan on 11 and 12 May 2026, a pre-electoral delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE)* has emphasised the importance of conducting the 7 June 2026 parliamentary elections in an environment free from fear, undue foreign influence and...
13/05/2026 | Migration, International Protection and Economic Co-operation
The Committee on Migration, International Protection and Economic Co-operation, meeting today in Paris, called on member states’ health authorities to “ensure that migrants and refugees have free access to healthcare from the moment of first arrival”, including mental healthcare, with psychiatric...
06/05/2026 | Prizes
The selection panel of the Vigdís Prize for Women's Empowerment, which rewards outstanding initiatives to promote the empowerment of women in all their diversity in Europe and beyond, has today announced the shortlist for the third edition of the prize. A joint initiative of the Icelandic...
05/05/2026 | Elections
A seven-member delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), led by Damien Cottier (Switzerland, EPP/CD), will make a pre-electoral visit to Armenia on 11-12 May to assess the election campaign and political climate prior to the parliamentary elections on 7 June. In...
04/05/2026 | Monitoring
PACE’s co-rapporteurs for the periodic review of Greece, ending a three-day fact-finding visit to the country to assess how far it is honouring its Council of Europe membership obligations, said they were able to discuss “all issues relating to the rule of law and democracy openly and in depth...
30/04/2026 | Culture, Science, Education and Media
On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day (3 May 2026), PACE's General Rapporteur on media freedom and the safety of journalists, Valentina Grippo (Italy, ALDE), has issued a warning about the critical situation of press freedom and media pluralism in Europe, highlighting the numerous threats...
30/04/2026 | Prizes
The Selection Panel for the Vigdís Prize for Women's Empowerment, chaired by Petra Bayr, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), and composed of six independent members with recognised standing in the field of women’s empowerment, will meet on 6 May at the...
29/04/2026 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
The General Rapporteur for political prisoners of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Azadeh Rojhan (Sweden, SOC), made the following statement on the second anniversary of Anar Mammadli’s detention in Azerbaijan: “Today marks exactly two years since Anar Mammadli, a...
29/04/2026 | Elections
“Free and fair elections are fundamental for our democracies – and credible election observation is essential to safeguarding them. It is a key part of the response to democratic backsliding and the growing loss of trust among voters,” today said Pablo Hispán (Spain, EPP/CD), Chair of the Council...