06/08/2012 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
"I strongly condemn the executions of two death row inmates, Junya Hattori and Kyozo Matsumura in Japan last week”, PACE General Rapporteur on the death penalty Renate Wohlwend (Liechtenstein, EPP/CD) said today. “I am bitterly disappointed by the attitude of the Japanese authorities", she added.
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..."
17/07/2012 | Political Affairs and Democracy
“I condemn the three illegal executions carried out today by Hamas, and call on the authorities in Gaza to cease all further executions, in line with the de facto moratorium on the death penalty which has been put in place by the Palestinian Authority since 2005. The death penalty – wherever it takes place – is simply wrong, but these executions are also a violation of Palestinian law, since they were carried out without any consultation with President Abbas," today said PACE rapporteur Tiny Kox (Netherlands, UEL), who is currently in Ramallah.
13/07/2012 | Culture, Science, Education and Media
Reacting to the publication of Swiss court documents yesterday, François Rochebloine (France, EPP/CD), author of a recent report for the PACE on good governance and ethics in sport, has made the following statement: “At last, under pressure from the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly and others, FIFA has made public the details of a shocking scandal at the heart of world football: millions of Swiss Francs rightfully belonging to the sport went into the pockets of some of its most senior administrators."
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.
13/07/2012 | Political Affairs and Democracy
Tiny Kox (Netherlands, UEL), PACE rapporteur on the "Evaluation of the Partnership for Democracy in respect of the Palestinian National Council", is to make a fact-finding visit to the Palestinian Territories on 16 and 17 July 2012. In Ramallah, Mr Kox is due to meet several representatives of the Palestinian Authority, including the Prime Minister, Minister of Justice and Minister for Women's Affairs.
13/07/2012 | Monitoring
Andreas Gross (Switzerland, SOC), one of the PACE co-rapporteurs for the monitoring of the honouring of obligations and commitments by Russia, will make a fact-finding visit to this country on 16-17 July, with a view to preparing a report to be discussed at the next session of PACE. During his visit, Mr Gross will meet representatives of the State Duma, the Ministry of Justice, the Supreme Court, and of the Prosecutor’s General office. Talks are also scheduled in Nizhniy Novgorod.
12/07/2012 | Migration, International Protection and Economic Co-operation
“Yet again, a dinghy with 55 people on board drifted for 15 days on the Mediterranean. This time, only one person survived. When will this ever end?,” today asked Tineke Strik (Netherlands, SOC), PACE rapporteur on “Lives lost in the Mediterranean Sea: who is responsible?”. She expressed her great sadness and anger over the deaths of another 54 boat people fleeing Libya towards Italy.
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.