26/02/2013 | President
"Romania's political crisis of July 2012 is long behind it and acceptance of political cohabitation reflects the country's democratic maturity," said PACE President Jean-Claude Mignon today when concluding an official two-day visit to Bucharest. "Tensions remain and problems persist, for example in the fight against corruption, but considerable progress has been achieved," he said.
25/02/2013 | President
PACE President Jean-Claude Mignon is currently on an official visit to Romania (25-26 February). He met today Prime Minister Victor Ponta, the Minister for Foreign Affairs Titus Corlăţean, as well as the President of the Chamber of Deputies Valeriu Stefan Zgonea.
25/02/2013 | Equality and Non-Discrimination
Håkon Haugli (Norway, SOC) will make a fact-finding visit to Budapest from 27 February to 1 March in the framework of the preparation of his report on "Tackling discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity".
22/02/2013 | Monitoring
Jana Fischerová (Czech Republic, EDG) and Kerstin Lundgren (Sweden, ALDE), co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) who have been appointed to assess the request for the opening of a monitoring procedure in respect of Hungary – following a motion signed by 24 members of the Assembly in January 2011 – will make a fact-finding visit to Budapest on 25-27 February 2013.
22/02/2013 | Monitoring
Jana Fischerová (Czech Republic, EDG) and Kerstin Lundgren (Sweden, ALDE), co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) who have been appointed to assess the request for the opening of a monitoring procedure in respect of Hungary – following a motion signed by 24 members of the Assembly in January 2011 – will make a fact-finding visit to Budapest on 25-27 February 2013.
21/02/2013 | President
In the context of his official visit to Luxembourg, PACE President Jean-Claude Mignon, held an exchange of views with Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker on 19 February 2013. The discussion mainly concerned the current political situation and the contribution that parliamentary diplomacy can make to the solution of frozen conflicts.
21/02/2013 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
“I firmly condemn Japan‘s execution of three prisoners on death row,” said Renate Wohlwend (Liechtenstein, EPP/CD), general rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on the death penalty.
21/02/2013 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
Pieter Omtzigt (Netherlands, EPP/CD), who is preparing a report on “Keeping political and criminal responsibility separate” for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), has said that it is urgent to address the status of former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and former Interior Minister Yuri Lutsenko as ‘political prisoners’ within the meaning of the definition adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly in October 2012
21/02/2013 | Political Affairs and Democracy
“We are following the latest political developments in Tunisia, following the murder of Chokri Belaid, leader of one of the opposition parties two weeks ago, attentively and with great concern. I endorse the statement made on this subject by Jean-Claude Mignon, President of our Assembly, and I condemn this crime which is aimed at destabilising the democratic transition process in Tunisia,” said Anne Brasseur (Luxembourg, ALDE), PACE rapporteur on Tunisia.
19/02/2013 | Election observation
Armenia’s presidential election was generally well-administered and was characterized by a respect for fundamental freedoms, including those of assembly and expression, concluded the international election observation mission in a statement released today. At the same time, a lack of impartiality on the part of the public administration and the misuse of administrative resources resulted in a blurring of the distinction between the activities of the state and those of the ruling party, the statement said.
18/02/2013 | President
“The Council of Europe Committee of Ministers missed a big chance to fight against the death penalty when it invited the United States to join the Venice Commission without first asking the US to re-open a constructive dialogue on ending executions,” said Renate Wohlwend (Liechtenstein, EPP/CD), General Rapporteur on the abolition of the death penalty for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).
15/02/2013 | Political Affairs and Democracy
“The Iranian government should immediately and unconditionally release the Iranian Green Movement leaders, who have been held under arbitrary house arrest for exactly two years,” said Pietro Marcenaro (Italy, SOC), Chairperson of the PACE Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy.