20/03/2025 | European Conference of Presidents of Parliament
“We live in an era where financial influence dictates many political decisions. We recently witnessed an inauguration ceremony where billionaires seated in the front row, while government ministers were placed behind them. Instead of serving the interests of the few powerful elites, we serve the...
20/03/2025 | European Conference of Presidents of Parliament
“The values of the Council of Europe have never been under such pressure”, today said Bärbel Bas, President of the Bundestag said today addressing the European Conference of Presidents of Parliament, in Strasbourg. “We must defend democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. Our parliaments...
20/03/2025 | Equality and Non-Discrimination
Francesco Verducci (Italy, SOC), General Rapporteur on combating racism and intolerance made the following statement on the occasion of the International day for the elimination of racial discrimination (21 March): On this International Day for the Elimination of All Forms of Racial...
19/03/2025 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
“I am deeply shocked by Israel's decision to resume bombardments and not to respect the ceasefire’, said Saskia Kluit (Netherlands, SOC), rapporteur on “The absolute and urgent need to end the humanitarian crisis for women, children and the hostages in Gaza". “The press reported yesterday that at...
19/03/2025 | Bureau
Meeting in Strasbourg today, the Bureau of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) made the following statement: “The Bureau of the Parliamentary Assembly expresses its grave concern at the arrest of the Mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem İmamoğlu from the Republican People's Party (CHP), just...
18/03/2025 | President
“It is with sadness that we learned of the death of Walter Schwimmer, a distinguished member of the Assembly for more than eight years who went on to be elected as a Secretary General of the Council of Europe,” said PACE President Theodoros Rousopoulos. “I extend my sincere condolences to his...
18/03/2025 | Equality and Non-Discrimination
“It is more than ever essential for world leaders to unite and harness their potential to defend women’s rights and build collective resistance to the backsliding and obscurantism that threaten these rights. Parliaments also should place the rights of women in all their diversity at the forefront...
18/03/2025 | Prizes
The President of the Assembly presented the second Human Rights in Motion Award for 2025 on Sunday, 16 March, at the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival. The jury selected the documentary Coexistence, My Ass!, which also won the Golden Alexander, the festival's top prize. The winners received €5...
18/03/2025 | Equality and Non-Discrimination
Today’s adoption by the Hungarian Parliament by accelerated procedure of a law banning the organisation of the Pride march and similar events and prohibiting participation in this type of event, to enter into force at the beginning of April, is an important setback not only for LGBTI rights, but...
14/03/2025 | Equality and Non-Discrimination
Francesco Verducci (Italy, SOC), PACE General Rapporteur on Combating Racism and Intolerance, has made the following statement to mark the International Day to Combat Islamophobia (15 March 2025): “On this day we not only commemorate the victims of the tragic mass shootings in Christchurch, New...
14/03/2025 | President
PACE President Theodoros Rousopoulos has welcomed the finalisation of the peace agreement being negotiated between Armenia and Azerbaijan. “I welcome the respective announcements made yesterday by the authorities of Armenia and Azerbaijan on the finalisation of their negotiations on the draft...
11/03/2025 | Equality and Non-Discrimination
“There is progress towards equality, but it is much too slow, and this is partly due to short-sightedness among men who think mistakenly that ‘power-sharing’ means ‘power-loss’,” said PACE President Theodoros Rousopoulos at the opening of a side-event on the sidelines of the 69th session of the...