vendredi 31 janvier 2025 matin
2025 - Première partie de session Imprimer la séanceVidéo(s) de la séance 1 / 1
Belgique, NI, Président de l'Assemblée
10:02:30
Good morning, everyone. The sitting is open.
"Good morning, everyone. The sitting is open." [in French]
I just remind members that they should insert the badge before taking the floor. And as you begin your speech, please press the microphone request button once only.
The first item of business this morning is a debate on a report titled “Long Covid” and access to the right to health” (Doc. 16088) presented by Ms Carmen LEYTE on behalf of the Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development.
In order to finish by 11:00 a.m., I will interrupt the list of speakers at about 10:50 a.m. But I think when I see the list, it could be possible if everyone keeps only 3 minutes to have everyone on the speakers list. But we need these 10 minutes at the end to reply and vote.
But now I call Ms Carmen LEYTE, as rapporteur. You have 7 minutes, and then you have 3 minutes at the end to reply to the debate.
Please, you have the floor.
Thank you.
Thank you, President.
Dear colleagues,
I am going to be speaking in the language of Cervantes – Spanish – my mother tongue.
It is a real honour for me, to share with you, this report on "Long Covid" and access to the right to health, which is an acute challenge for our health systems, as well as the lives of many people throughout Europe and the wider world.
Although many people think that the pandemic is now behind us, for at least 20 million people in Europe the impact of Covid-19 continues to be a devastating reality.
Long Covid is a chronic disease, which affects people for months following on from their initial infection and manifests itself in the form of debilitating symptoms such as chronic fatigue, brain fog, neurological and respiratory disorders.
This disease, which in some cases can be compared to chronic fatigue syndrome, seriously harms the quality of life and social relations of the people who suffer from it.
Unfortunately, notwithstanding its scale, Long Covid continues to be a blind spot in terms of our public policies. We are facing a threefold crisis – a lack of a clear and consensual definition of the disease, limited access to diagnostics and treatment, and the stigmatisation and ignorance on the part of society and our healthcare systems.
Now, in this report, we say our approach should be based on human rights, as we had already emphasised in Resolution 2373 of 2021, in which we made a call to reinforce the detection and treatment of chronic diseases as well as the adoption of cross-cutting policies to reduce inequalities and also tackle vulnerabilities.
And we, therefore, repeat that call with specific measures. First of all, we need to guarantee sufficient funding for biomedical research. This is absolutely vital if we are to draw up a clear definition of Long Covid, roll out effective treatments and ensure an adequate, safe, sustainable recovery for patients. We also have to have a robust scientific basis for our policies.
Secondly, we need co-ordinated policies on a national level, which are designed in co-operation with those who suffer Long Covid. Said policies should prioritise the creation of cross-disciplinary centres, specialised in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of Long Covid, as well as guaranteeing equity in access to healthcare.
I would like to highlight that my own region, Galicia, in Spain, has a special health service for post-Covid across the seven areas and provides 6 700 consultations per year for a population of 2.7 million.
Thirdly, it is essential that we provide dedicated training for healthcare staff and run awareness-raising campaigns for the general public. Better understanding and recognition of this disease if we are to counter the stigmatisation of those who are affected as well as protecting their rights.
Fourthly, we should recognise Long Covid as a disability under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. That would make it possible to guarantee welfare payments, as well as compensation benefits and properly adapted labour rights.
Fifthly, our member states should promote flexible workplace and educational policies to allow those with Long Covid to keep up their activities in appropriate conditions.
Last but not least, we call for international co-operation. Europe cannot deal with this challenge on its own. We have to pool our efforts, co-ordinate our research, share our best practices, as well as mobilise resources at a global level.
The socio-economic impact of Long Covid is devastating. It is estimated that we have lost millions from the labour market in Europe and it is costing up to 1% of gross domestic product (GDP) in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries.
But beyond the figures, we are talking about people – their lives destroyed, their families affected – and therefore we have a moral debt to those who bore the brunt of the effects of the pandemic.
Here, in the Council of Europe, we have to spearhead this battle. We are the guardians of human rights and we have to make sure that we are a voice that leaves no one behind.
Long Covid cannot be ignored and we in the Assembly have the opportunity here to stand out. And that is why I call on all of you to see to it that in your countries appropriate measures are adopted because is important that we guarantee that people who are suffering from this disease have access to proper healthcare and I believe that they need to be given the hope of full recovery.
I would like to conclude by thanking the World Health Organization (WHO), Doctor SORIANO, for the contribution made as an expert, but as well as Ms Chantal BRITT who shared with us her personal experience, as well as that of other patients of the European Long Covid Network, and also thank you to the secretariat of the Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development, particularly in this case, Ms Catherine DU-BERNARD ROCHY for their valuable assistance.
And thank you to all of you for listening to me and I ask for your support on behalf of those who suffer from Long Covid.
Thank you.
Belgique, NI, Président de l'Assemblée
10:09:55
"Thank you, Madam Leyte." [spoken in Spanish]
I now open the debate. I call first Sir Christopher CHOPE.
Royaume-Uni, CE/AD, Porte-parole du groupe
10:10:09
Thank you, Mister President.
And can I congratulate the rapporteur on this report and say that I very much support what it says.
But there is one glaring omission in the report and it makes no mention of those millions of people who are suffering the wide range of Long Covid symptoms but not caused by having been infected with Covid-19 but by having had Covid-19 vaccines. Their suffering is recognised by medical practitioners and clinicians and described as Long post-Covid vaccination syndrome. It is very similar in its diagnosis and the identity of it to what's described as Long Covid in this report.
There is far too little investment in identifying the causes of vaccine-induced Long Covid and also a reluctance to invest in trying to find effective diagnosis and treatments.
The United Kingdom taxpayer spent over 10 billion pounds on vaccines against Covid-19, but spends next to nothing on helping those who suffered adverse reactions from those vaccines and continue to suffer in their daily lives.
In the United Kingdom, those who have suffered death or serious disablement from Covid-19 vaccines are eligible for taxpayer payments of 120,000 pounds. And several hundred people have been able to access those payments.
But for many thousands whose disablement is less than 60%, there is no help whatsoever. And it is to this group that today's motion should be directed. They want effective treatment even more than financial redress. And certainly in the United Kingdom they are not receiving it.
This is leading to all sorts of consequences. There has been in the United Kingdom, and I think elsewhere, an increase in the lack of confidence in vaccines and there's increased sickness absence. What we need is a better understanding of the interaction of vaccines and our immune systems, particularly with the advent of mRNA vaccines.
Governments made a big mistake in declaring that Covid-19 vaccines were absolutely safe. The German government, at least, has now apologised for this. We owe it to all those who had vaccines against their better judgment often, but for the greater good, that we should look after those who have suffered and are continuing to suffer the adverse consequences of reactions against those vaccines. That's why I hope that this report will make progress in medical circles and that when people look at this issue they will also include in their deliberations those who suffered as a result of the vaccines.
Belgique, NI, Président de l'Assemblée
10:13:28
Thank you. Then I give the floor to Baroness Sal BRINTON.
Royaume-Uni, ADLE, Porte-parole du groupe
10:13:36
...and I congratulate the rapporteur on this excellent report and resolution.
Health services for Long Covid across the world are inconsistent and often not treated in the same way as other diseases.
Ignoring the long-term health, economic, and well being of at least 22 million people in Europe and 70 million globally has significant consequences for the individuals, their families and the economy.
Many are denied recognition as disabled people because of health and governmental attitudes.
Those living long term with Long Covid face underfunded specialist clinics or none at all. Worse, some clinics believe that this should be treated only as chronic fatigue and depression and don't even test for neurological, respiratory, and other key symptoms.
Laura SPINNEY's 2016 book Pale rider: the Spanish flu of 1918 and how it changed the world discovered that some doctors understood that many people, especially young adults and children who did survive the Spanish flu, were facing chronic fatigue, shortness of breath and neurological illnesses afterwards.
Sound familiar?
Research projects in the 1920s by the Norwegian epidemiologist Svenn-Erik MAMELUND and also the British doctor Alexander FLEMING found that for some an overactive immune system was also attacking the body in its fight to kill the virus.
These days it is called autoimmune disease.
But sadly, our societies have forgotten the lessons that we learned after the Spanish flu. The hospital that I attend for my main autoimmune disease, rheumatoid arthritis, has found that since December 2019 their patients with autoimmune disease have increased fourfold and is rising.
This is an invisible part of Long Covid.
But there is good news. Despite what Sir Christopher CHOPE said, vaccination for those who had severe Covid can significantly reduce the impact of Long Covid. Yet many countries only offer vaccination to a very limited number of people. So short-sighted, as the severity of Long Covid means that too many patients are too disabled to work, which affects not only their well-being, it affects our economies.
There is a lack of data and, worse, a lack of interest in funding research because too many people say Covid is over. It is not as long as millions suffer from Long Covid.
This resolution sets out all three of the World Health Organization's key things: recognition, research and rehabilitation.
Those living with Long Covid are disabled in their lives and should also be recognised as disabled by their doctors, government and society, because they deserve it. They need all the help that they can get.
Belgique, NI, Président de l'Assemblée
10:16:35
Thank you.
I give the floor now to Ms Sevilay ÇELENK ÖZEN.
Türkiye, GUE, Porte-parole du groupe
10:16:46
Thank you, Mister President.
First, we congratulate the rapporteur and agree that a human-rights-based approach is important to address the long term impacts of Long Covid on the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of individuals.
We support the establishment of multidisciplinary centres where well-trained and well-equipped healthcare professionals effectively diagnose and treat Long Covid.
The recognition of Long Covid under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is an important step in ensuring access to rights, but must be approached with caution.
Missing from the resolution is a call for international research collaboration and data sharing, particularly to better understand the conditions of Long Covid, post-vaccination and chronic fatigue syndrome.
The most striking statement of the report is that healthcare systems are still weak against the impact of the pandemic and do not have sufficient capacity to deal with Long Covid.
Just one important fact: the European Commission must allocate at least 500 million euros to combat Long Covid.
In the days of the pandemic, most of us thought that this was the end of the world as we knew it. But sadly, we have almost completely forgotten that. We have forgotten the price we have paid. Millions of people have lost their lives. Millions of people were left alone, helpless, and isolated.
In a way, we became refugees in our own homeland because our homeland was no longer the place we knew it.
Despite everything, we have learned very little. We carry on as if nothing had happened.
The pandemic has shown us that security is not just about strengthening military capabilities. The massive budgets that have been allocated to the security in Europe and around the world haven't protected us. Health systems have collapsed within weeks. We have painfully learned that security is only possible if we are in good health.
Now we need to advocate for a shift in public health priorities in our member states. Because health takes priority over everything else.
Thank you.
Belgique, NI, Président de l'Assemblée
10:19:26
Thank you.
Then I'd like to give the floor to Mr Gerardo GIOVAGNOLI.
Saint-Marin, SOC, Porte-parole du groupe
10:19:35
Thank you Chairman,
I would first like to thank the rapporteur for the thorough and balanced report on this issue, which has not only led us to reflect on the experience and long-term consequences of the deadliest pandemic in at least a century, but also causes us to take a stand on the value of public funding in the health care system and prevention, which should not be considered a cost, rather an effective investment to ensure a prerequisite of all human activity: health.
Unfortunately, it must be noted that over the past 20 years, financial protection has been progressively reduced with 2 billion people in economic distress and 1.3 billion individuals pushed into poverty because of the health costs they are forced to bear. More than one-third of high-income countries, more than 20 percent of total health spending was paid out of pocket. But just average per capita public spending on health in most income groups has declined since 2021, after a surge in the first year of the pandemic - the first decline in global health spending in real terms since 2000.
The most recent data show that in more than a third of high-income countries, more than 20 percent of total health spending is borne by citizens.
The risk therefore that is being taken is to degrade the quality of life with the unbearable disparity between those who have the means for quality care and those who do not, between those who live in areas that benefit from good sanitary conditions and those who do not, with inevitable repercussions also from an economic point of view, because lack of prevention means higher subsequent costs for care, fewer resources mean less professionalism and doctors available.
Therefore, the strong recommendation that must come to all our countries from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe is to not consider the factor of public spending, particularly that of prevention, as secondary, as a fundamental factor for human rights, for the right to health and equal treatment, as well as for social and economic development.
Moreover, if there is a useful body to co-ordinate global and shared policies, it is the World Health Organization, from which reports I have taken the above data. Unfortunately, as if it were an indispensable priority, President TRUMP has decided to pull the United States out of the WHO. This is a step that goes against efforts to prevent pandemics, spread best practices, especially in developing countries that need international assistance and expertise, and are precisely those from which viruses that are difficult to control and also more easily spread can develop.
Hitting multilateral organisations is a wrong practice and one whose outcomes can only be counterproductive globally. In this case catastrophically so, because if there is one issue that requires maximum dissemination of information and maximum celerity to stop the outbreak of contagious diseases, this is it.
Two very obvious examples of WHO's usefulness are the eradication of smallpox and the drastic downsizing of polio.
The call here then is to support the WHO, indeed to recommend to the more developed countries, and in particular those in the European Union, to compensate for any loss of funding due to the exit of the United States, with the hope that this decision will not be replicated by other states.
Thank you.
Belgique, NI, Président de l'Assemblée
10:23:03
"Thank you" [spoken in Italian]
Then I give the floor to Mr Jan Filip LIBICKI.
Pologne, PPE/DC, Porte-parole du groupe
10:23:08
Thank you very much, Mister Chair.
Mister Chair, dear colleagues,
First I would like to extend my sincere thanks to my dear friend Ms Carmen LEYTE for her extremely important report entitled "Long Covid and access to the right to health".
Why do we, her colleagues in the EPP group, consider this report important?
Firstly, because today many people forget what a great trauma and socioeconomic problem the COVID-19 pandemic was for societies around the world. And yet it was only five years ago.
Secondly, today those who struggle with long term health problems after this terrible pandemic suffer in silence. And Carmen's report draws the attention of not only us parliamentarians, but also our public institutions to their suffering.
Why else is it important?
It is important because it contains specific recommendations on how to combat this serious social phenomenon: the long term health effect of COVID-19 pandemic that affects our citizens.
It talks about specific recommendations, including co-ordinations of public policies regarding access to treatment of the long term effects of COVID, providing appropriate funds for biomedical research, recognising people affected by the long term effects of COVID as people with disabilities, and improving the competence of medical staff in combating these effects.
The conclusions from Ms Carmen LEYTE's report are crucial because unfortunately we believe it is likely that many similar situations may await us in the future. And that is why these recommendations on how to deal with the long term effects of the pandemic are so important.
Our neighbours, members of the European Parliament, who a few days ago established a new Health Committee that will, among other things, deal with the European Union's response to such health crises, also understands this.
Ms LEYTE's very important report also shows this.
Carmen, thank you very, very much again.
Thank you, Mister Chair.
Belgique, NI, Président de l'Assemblée
10:25:43
Thank you.
Then we go to the other lists: Ms Jamila MADEIRA.
You have the floor.
President.
First of all, I would like to thank the rapporteur for such a relevant report with such a deep concern about health their socioeconomic impact related with Long Covid effects.
This report is critical because, like we did in 2020, we need to recognise it exists and severely affects millions of people.
This approach comes also assuming that after all constrain during Covid we all came out with an overload of fragilities and those have been clearly signalled in the following winters with an increased number of flues and respiratory disease.
In 2020 we protected ourselves because something deadly was out there, so we weakened several other immunities that we gain every day.
Long Covid is a disability! It’s a chronic state of illness that drastically reduces people’s ability to work or produce.
We knew nothing about SARS-CoV-2. The disease attacked quickly, swiftly, and we had to use containment techniques.
We financed and created a vaccine in record time. The fastest vaccine of all time.
Now we are failing to help those who have been left with serious after-effects that impact their quality of life and their role as professionals and our economy.
This disease affects their self-esteem, their concentration, and their ability to produce. A disease that perpetuates itself, growing almost invisibly but very debilitating for those who suffer from it.
Access to healthcare was what we tried to guarantee in pandemic times. Never denying to anyone this right.
It is now time to chart a course of action, like this report does, to ensure that this right is not denied to those left with after-effects.
This is our role with this report. And that's why we should again than the rapporteur for bringing it here.
Thank you again.
Belgique, NI, Président de l'Assemblée
10:28:03
Thank you.
Then I'd like to give the floor to Mr Sorin-Titus MUNCACIU.
Your badge.
You have to put your badge.
Thank you, Mister Chairman.
There is a difficult medical diagnostic differentiation between "Long Covid" and the post-vaccination syndrome.
And, if we look at the figures that the ICS meetings, where only PhD professors discuss the vaccines' adverse reactions, we find out that actually the figures look like this:
Following only the Pfizer methodology, we found out that it's possible that in the world around 15 and 17 million people died because of the vaccine. There are 50 million people who suffer diseases that are disabling them, I mean, in other words, they are debilitated by complications of the vaccine, and there is another in between 8 and 900 million people who have no debilitating syndrome after the vaccination.
And, one of the reasons I'm trying to explain to you that it's difficult to make a difference is the fact that some of the vaccine vials contained different elements. I'll give you an example – an mRNA vaccine but in the process of manufacturing this vaccine, it has to be split from DNA. Now in terminology, there is a certain quantity of DNA that is possible to be in those vials. Unfortunately, it was many many times more. That's something that explains the turbo cancers that we have seen.
In addition to that, in the vaccine, it was SV40 – a component that should never have been in that vaccine and that's another reason for turbo cancers.
Now, I can see that the policies of the governments follow what they did during the pandemic. In other words, the trusted news initiative was a media decision to favour vaccination and sabotage the other means of treatment. It's still in place. So it's no longer a question what is the adverse reaction from the vaccine and what is "Long Covid"? Because we have seen now complications in young people, and if you look at the statistics in the United States, for people who were covered by life insurance, the situation is very dear. In other words, there is no explanation for why we have young people dying or having complications from this vaccine.
Thank you very much. I am sorry I went over the time.
Belgique, NI, Président de l'Assemblée
10:32:18
Then I give the floor to Mr Roland Rino BÜCHEL.
Yes, thank you very much, Mister Chairman,
Ladies and gentlemen,
There are not so many people in the hall on Friday mornings, but it has the advantage that people listen to each other. And I am very happy to hear certain words. But first, what is Long Covid? The term remains unclear. It describes a range of symptoms that persist after a Covid illness or only appear weeks, months or years later. These symptoms range from, as has been mentioned, chronic fatigue to breathing difficulties or so-called brain fog: not knowing where you are.
Research has become more important in recent years and we need to realise that Long-Covid is not just a medical crisis, but a social crisis. And I am convinced that this report contributes to that.
But - as Baroness BRINTON said - we must not forget the economy, the people. Enormous resources, billions will be spent. And these funds must be spent on improving research and getting people back into life, back into economic life, rather than trying to pension off as many people as possible and then take them out of the system. I am very grateful to Sir CHOPE and now also to Mr MUNCACIU for saying that - something that was not mentioned in the report and was also not the subject - but the consequences of vaccinations are of course also enormous and perhaps even less researched, or there are probably also very great interests in not researching this too much, because then a few people might look a bit old after all.
As Ms Jamila MADEIRA said, it is the fastest vaccine of all time. It's probably not the best vaccine of all time. And we have to be aware of that. And we have to bear the consequences and help the people who are suffering from both Long Covid and the consequences of the vaccine. And I am convinced that we, the economy, the states must invest the funds in such a way that a cure, that integration is possible, that long Covid and the consequences of the vaccine are mitigated as far as possible and that many generations after us do not suffer because we do not tackle it properly.
Thank you very much.
Belgique, NI, Président de l'Assemblée
10:35:11
"Thank you" [spoken in German]
Then I give the floor to Mr László TOROCZKAI.
Thank you, Mister President.
First of all, what we are talking about here is the so-called Long Covid. But we have never talked about the real cause of the Covid-19. We have never talked about those responsible for the Covid-19 tragedy.
The biggest flaw of this report is that it seeks to follow the protocol of the WHO, the World Health Organization, the protocol of that WHO which has now been found to have been guilty of committing several mistakes and even crimes.
The only question is whether these mistakes were committed because they were stupid or because an Ethiopian politician involved in shady deals is running the organisation and he did what he did on purpose.
The WHO is funded by global pharmaceutical companies belonging to Big Pharma and by Bill Gates, who made billions of euros out of the whole Covid-19 story and the vaccines.
How can we expect an impartial, objective opinion from them?
It was under their pressure, for example, that Meta censored those who dared to claim from the beginning that it was not a natural virus.
We, my party, had published this scientific fact-based on the findings of Hungarian researchers. Still, we got censored by Meta.
The leaders of META or the WHO also censored research doctors and scientists. Now that it no longer matters, now that these billionaires have made their profits, now that the official pandemic is over, now the truth can be told. We are no longer censored for it.
However, the same doctors also say that mRNA vaccines have many more harmful side effects than they have been reported to have.
This report does not deal with mRNA vaccines at all, even though not enough time has passed to declare that they don't cause any long term damage to the human body.
Today, we know that we have been lied to a lot about Covid-19 and that the WHO has often given us incorrect protocols. And yet now we again intend to follow their advice on the so-called Long Covid.
My suggestion is that all member states should leave the WHO and follow the protocol of those research doctors who have now been proven to have been right about Covid-19 in the first place.
Thank you very much.
Belgique, NI, Président de l'Assemblée
10:38:18
Thank you.
Then I give the floor to Mr Markus WIECHEL.
Mr Markus WIECHEL is not here?
No. Okay. Then we go to the next one.
Mr Edmunds CEPURĪTIS. Please.
Thank you very much.
There is a clear tendency for escapism and wishful thinking all around us. In several areas we are avoiding the challenges and difficulties.
And while understandable on a private level in our society where people sometimes simply want to have a moment of peace in a world of multi-crises, the governments, the politicians have a responsibility to face the challenges, not to run away from them.
Long Covid is one of those challenges. A lot of our colleagues tend to ignore it, as it reminds us about the polarising politics of the pandemic: restrictions, uncertainty, and difficulties dealing with misinformation campaigns (for example about the role of vaccines in modern medicine).
Let me just state here that efficacy and safety of vaccines should be determined by research and researchers, not by social media and politicians.
We would want to leave this divisive period in the past, but Covid-19 is still here.
And so is Long Covid, which is still not addressed at the level required.
Yesterday we talked about the need to strengthen the support for Ukraine in actions, not just words. And this requires expanding the defence spending to protect peace in Europe. I believe that should be our number one priority, but especially should not be lost to escapism.
But I agree with the report, that we also need to expand the healthcare services, to provide the care needed. Without it, we would simply pay more in the future, including with the decreased quality of life. And it would be the people most vulnerable who would suffer the most.
And we should also do more in prevention of Long Covid, which includes research. There is a clear need for co-operation, and therefore strengthening the World Health Organization is a necessity.
To defend human rights, we have to defend the right to a healthy life. And this report is clearly guiding us on how to fulfil this responsibility.
I thank the rapporteur for that.
Thank you.
Belgique, NI, Président de l'Assemblée
10:40:45
Thank you. Then we go to Ms Larysa BILOZIR.
You have to insert your badge.
Dear colleagues,
I would like to thank Ms Carmen LEYTE for her important work on this report. Long Covid is not just a health issue, it's also a human rights issue.
Today, we have the opportunity to improve the lives of millions of people. The Covid-19 pandemic has caused nearly 7 million deaths worldwide. But its effects did not stop there. In Europe, at least 22 million people are now suffering from Long Covid.
They have difficulty accessing appropriate care and face financial problems. Research shows that certain groups are more at risk: women, people who have had a severe form of the disease, particularly those who have been in hospital, those with pre-existing health problems and the elderly.
That's why we need a human rights-based approach. This means guaranteeing diagnosis, appropriate treatment and social support for those affected. More research is also essential, as we still don't have a clear definition of Long Covid. Without this, access to care is even more difficult.
Ukraine knows how crucial access to healthcare and the protection of human rights are, especially in times of war. Despite our fight for freedom, we must also face up to the consequences of Covid-19.
We support this resolution because it reflects our values: protecting the most vulnerable, guaranteeing access to healthcare and defending fundamental rights. It is essential to recognise Long Covid as a disability within the framework of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
I call on all members of this Assembly to vote in favor of this resolution. These recommendations will only be effective if governments are willing to implement them. It will take a real commitment from authorities and health systems to achieve concrete results.
We must act now.
Thank you for your support.
Belgique, NI, Président de l'Assemblée
10:43:58
"Thank you" [Spoken in French].
Now I give the floor to Ms Flordeliz OSLER.
Thank you, Mister President, dear colleagues,
I would like to thank the rapporteur for her work in drafting this report and its timely focus on Long Covid, a medical condition that affects millions of people around the world.
The British medical journal The Lancet estimated that, as of March 2023, at least 65 million people were struggling with Long Covid.
More recent estimates now put this figure in the hundreds of millions of people – people whose lives have been entirely disrupted by the condition.
The authors of a recent research paper found that Long Covid "drastically affects patients’ well-being and sense of self, as well as their ability to work, socialise, care for others, manage chores and engage in community activities.”
The chief science advisor of Canada acknowledged this in a September 2024 report. She found that Long Covid continues to have a broad socio-economic impact on affected individuals and their families.
Multiple other studies have confirmed these findings. One study found that over one in five Canadians with Long Covid missed multiple days of work or school as a result.
In numerous cases, employees in some countries have been forced to resign their positions.
Unsurprisingly, individuals struggling with Long Covid frequently experience financial hardship, resulting in depleted savings, and economic and food insecurity.
A 2024 report by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (or OECD) found that even conservative estimates of Long Covid indicate that it may be reducing the workforce by nearly 3 million employees within OECD countries, resulting in at least 138 billion euros in lost wages alone.
Furthermore, this same report stressed that Long Covid threatens to exacerbate the inequalities laid bare by the pandemic, especially amongst populations made vulnerable.
The impact of Long Covid on health care systems has also been significant.
One study estimated the total burden of Long Covid to the Canadian health care system at between 8 to 51 billion Canadian dollars per year.
In view of the far-reaching health and societal impacts of Long Covid, it has been argued that more robust government responses, including more services, supports, and research funding, are required to counter the negative impacts.
But the global science community has raised alarms over Canada’s southern neighbour who has pulled out of the World Health Organization and stopped all activity in their federal science funding agencies, meaning: a freezing of grant review panels; no new research funding; layoffs of scientists; and a stoppage of all external health communications.
Colleagues,
This is not the time to neglect health security, not least for persons suffering from Long Covid.
Thank you for your attention, "thank you" [spoken in Cree], thank you [spoken in French].
Belgique, NI, Président de l'Assemblée
10:47:09
Thank you.
Then finally I go to Ms Albana VOKSHI.
You have the floor.
Yes, please insert your card.
Thank you very much.
Ladies and gentlemen,
First of all, I extend my sincerest congratulations to Ms Carmen LEYTE for this excellent report on Long Covid.
Studying Covid-19 and its long-term consequences is essential, and I commend the dedication for shedding light on this crucial issue.
The Covid-19 pandemic has left devastating consequences worldwide. In Albania, the impact has been severe. We even brought tanks into the streets to fight Covid, and this is not a joke. According to a European Union report, during the COVID period, Albania recorded twice the number of deaths compared to the EU member countries average. The reasons should be carefully analysed: delayed responses, mismanagement, lack of knowledge, lack of financial support for treatments, inadequate healthcare measures. All of this should be analysed. It's important to know now in order to react.
Today, we see people suffer and even die without clear explanations. Many suspect Long Covid plays a major role, yet recognition is low, research is lacking, and there is no proper response. If we fail to act with knowledge, coordination, and urgently, we risk ignoring another health crisis.
As this report highlights, Long Covid is a complex condition affecting millions worldwide. It causes chronic fatigue, brain fog, respiratory and cardiovascular issues, lasting for months or years. Without clear definitions and standard diagnosis, medical responses remain inadequate.
What are the challenges?
Patients suffering from Long Covid have nowhere to turn: no specialised care, no financial assistance, and no national strategy.
Many remain undiagnosed, misdiagnosed, or ignored.
So it's a call for action mentioned in this report.
The report provides clear recommendations that we must act on immediately:
1. Recognise Long Covid as a public health crisis and include it in national healthcare strategies.
2. Invest in healthcare infrastructure.
3. Train medical professionals to diagnose and treat Long Covid properly.
4. Ensure financial support, including medical reimbursements and disability recognition.
5. Strengthen international cooperation.
In conclusion, as the report states, the pandemic is not over, it has transformed into a chronic crisis. If we do not act now, more lives will be lost, more families will suffer, and economies will continue to struggle.
Albania and other countries must learn from the past mistakes and take science-based, coordinated action.
It is our duty to ensure that no one suffers in silence and that those affected receive the recognition, treatment, and support they deserve.
Thank you very much.
Belgique, NI, Président de l'Assemblée
10:50:28
Thank you.
So we conclude our list of speakers and I call now Ms Carmen LEYTE as rapporteur to reply.
You have 3 minutes. Please.
Thank you very much indeed, President, and thank you to all of the speakers who took the floor for their contributions.
I can assure you that I listened to you all of you very carefully indeed, and I think that everybody basically agreed that this is a report that needs to be put into practice.
I do want to pick up on something that some speakers said. Not all are fully suppprtove of the report, but remind you that this pandemic upended the world. We were all very worried, many of us were confined in our countries – it varied from country to country, but we saw our neighbours and friends and family members dying.
The vaccine was record-breaking. All of the researchers who were familiar with this issue were able to come together to achieve this collective success, which was vaccination. Now of course there were some problems with the vaccines, as is always the case with other vaccines. Some people are allergic to some of the components or ingredients of vaccines – that applies to all vaccines, including the measles and rubella vaccines, let me make that clear. But that does not mean that the vaccines was truly decisive to stop Covid-19.
We've talked about the World Health Organization. The WHO of course brings together doctors from countries around the world, leading researchers in their own countries. I am sure that you have also got doctors from your countries in the WHO. When it comes to Spain, I know some of them and they're the best of the best. I believe that the WHO is absolutely crucial in the fight against pandemics as well as trying to tackle health problems in underdeveloped countries. If they didn't have the WHO, the underdeveloped countries would really be worse off.
I think there's still a lot to say about Covid-19, and that is why in this report we are calling for research to continue into Covid-19. We are calling for funding for such research and to make sure that all people, all of our citizens who are suffering the consequences of Long Covid – jobs affected, personal lives affected, some are working with a lot of effort in worse conditions. We need to make sure that we reassert their rights, make sure that they are covered by the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, so they can receive social security beneifts, financial assistance, employment rights.
That's all ready, President.
The important thing is that we protect these patients who are our neighbours, our family members, and other people who we don't know but who are nevertheless suffering.
Thank you very much.
Belgique, NI, Président de l'Assemblée
10:54:05
"Thank you very much, Miss Leyte" [spoken in Spanish]
And then I just have to ask to Ms Saskia KLUIT if she wants to speak as President of the Committee.
You have 3 minutes.
Pays-Bas, SOC, Présidente de la Commission des questions sociales, de la santé et du développement durable
10:54:17
Thank you very much, Chair.
When we were preparing this report, I very often had to think about my good friend's daughter, Luna. I have known Luna all her life. She's 27 and she contracted Covid and went from an extremely vibrant social person working in child's healthcare to a person that is now almost full time at home. She lost her job, she has to sleep every two hours. And although she's an extremely positive person and tries to make the best of it, it's for me so clear that she's lost most of the space in her life and her social life. And I'm also extremely proud of her because she's still a very positive person fighting to get well again.
And I think it's very good that in this meeting we all agree upon Long Covid at least as being an extremely serious disease.
So let's be happy for that at least.
And she's not alone. Millions of others have it and I want to thank Ms Carmen LEYTE and the Committee for doing this wonderful job on this report.
A human-rights approach is very important to treating Long Covid. It touches upon the heart of Article 11 of our European Social Charter that enshrines the right to protection of health. And Long Covid is of course not alone. This is a disease like many other post-virus diseases. In the Netherlands we have the Q fever, we have ME, and all those diseases deserve recognition as a disability, so we can find good treatment plans and financial repairs when patients are not able to work anymore.
And I think it's extremely important that we also mention the role of the WHO.
Ms LEYTE already mentioned it also. It's a high level organisation with very, very dedicated and qualified people in it, but also extremely important in fighting existing and new diseases, like Covid.
We have diseases around the corner, people. We have the monkeypox, we have the bird flu flying around. And it's the WHO that will protect us by early warnings and early signalling and also alerting other nations so we can prepare nationally and help new patients.
So we should underline their important work here, especially now that the USA has retracted from them.
And I would say to all of us here: when we come home on Monday morning, let's work in our governments to fill the financial gap that the US has made.
Alright, then we go to the practicalities.
The report was unanimously adopted because we think it's a wonderful report and no resolutions have been tabled.
So also our colleagues think it's a wonderful report.
So I think we can go to the vote now.
Belgique, NI, Président de l'Assemblée
10:57:05
Thank you, Madam Kluit.
So I can close the debate and indeed, as I said, the Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development has presented a draft resolution to which no amendments have been tabled.
And so we can proceed to vote on the draft resolution contained in Document 16088 and a simple majority is required.
The vote is open.
The vote is closed.
I call for the result to be displayed.
32 are in favour, 3 against and 1 abstention.
Congratulations. The draft resolution and Document 16088 is adopted.
So then we can go to the next item of business this morning that's the debate on the report by Ms Andrea EDER-GITSCHTHALER titled “Overcoming age-based discrimination against older persons”, which is Document 16091 presented by Ms Petra BAYR on behalf of the Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination.
We have to finish at 12 p.m. so I will interrupt the list of speakers at about 11:30 p.m. – but as a I can see the list, I don't think it will be a problem – so we have the time to reply and to vote.
I will just wait 1 more minute so that everyone can find their place.
And once again I want to congratulate Ms Carmen LEYTE from Spain for your wonderful report.
Yes, you have the floor.
Thank you, Mister Chairman.
I was just too late to vote, so I would like to add my positive vote to the Covid-19 report.
Thank you very much.
Belgique, NI, Président de l'Assemblée
10:59:47
Thank you, Mister Dalle. We'll note this, thank you.
Okay, is everyone ready?
Yes? Okay, so then I call Ms Petra BAYR.
You have 7 minutes. And then, of course, you have 3 minutes at the end to reply to the debate.
Ms Bayr, you have the floor.
Autriche, SOC au nom de la Rapporteure
11:01:02
Thank you very much, Mister Chairman.
Ms Andrea EDER-GITSCHTHALER, who is the rapporteur of this very important report to protect the human rights of older persons, regrets that she can't be here with us today, but she is, for half a year, chairing the Federal Council of the Austrian Parliament, and they have sittings this week and so, I will do my best to present her report on "Overcoming age-based discrimination against older persons".
So let me start with the obvious. And the obvious is that older people really contribute a lot to our society. They have essential functions, especially when it comes to families, where they often take care of kids or grandkids, and guaranteeing that they can fully and equally enjoy all the human rights and fundamental freedoms means respecting the principles of independence, participation, self-fulfilment, dignity and non-discrimination.
So I think the issue of dealing with older persons is especially pressing because we see that our societies are ageing and there are more and more older persons that are part of our societies. And as Andrea's report rightly says, human rights should not be denied or reduced with age. But, unfortunately, this often is still the case.
So we need to overcome specific barriers that older people are facing when realising their rights. They include failed but often socially accepted narratives of older people being sick or dependent or passive, which is, of course, also then published widely by some media.
Ageism is a widely prevalent and prejudicial attitude resting on the assumption that the neglect of older persons and discrimination against them is acceptable, which of course it is not. And ageism is a driving force behind age-based discrimination.
According to the WHO, the World Health Organization, half of the population has some ageist attitudes about older persons, which is reflected through stereotypes and predictions and discrimination against them. And I think it's really important to change the situation and change the way we consider and treat older persons.
That means a change in mentalities and cultures in our society so that ageism and discrimination would no longer be accepted and justified.
But, and that's quite surprising, there is no explicit guarantee against being subject to discrimination or discriminatory treatment based on ageism, and no explicit obligation on member states, or states in general, to take active measures against ageism and its discriminatory consequences. However, states have an obligation to address ageism because it amounts to discrimination on the basis of age and some treaties oblige states to eliminate discrimination on the basis of so-called other status, as for instance the European Convention of Human Rights and this other status, of course, also includes age.
Indeed, age is less protected than other grounds of discrimination. And there is a broad range of circumstances where age may constitute a legitimate reason for distinguishing between different groups of persons. I just want to remind you that we often see discrimination against older persons when it comes to insurance, banking, employment, access to health care and many others, which do not apply to other non-discrimination grounds.
So we need to face the fact that the unequal treatment of older persons is the most accepted form of discrimination and that it takes place in a variety of contexts and policies. Ageism against older persons is trivialised as a less harmful or less important form of discrimination which leads to older persons themselves internalising stereotypes and ageism.
There is, indeed, scientific evidence that the impact of age-based discrimination is there in the physical and mental health of older persons.
One of the main recommendations in the draft resolution before you – and I really want to ask you to support it – is the need for the Council of Europe member states to strengthen the legal and policy frameworks following a human rights-based approach and expand the prohibition of unequal treatment based on age to all areas of life.
We have many legal and policy tools to tackle ageism against older persons, including the European Social Charter and the Committee of Ministers' Recommendation from 2014 with measures to protect the human rights of older persons. Some of them need to be fully applied while others need to be reviewed and updated.
So this report supports the adoption of a Global Convention on the Rights of Older Persons as many of the biases against older persons are embedded in law.
As regards action by our member states, we need to raise awareness and provide training on age-based discrimination, in particular targeting lawyers and judges. Of course, we also need research and data collection should make them a priority.
This report addresses access to justice, healthcare, goods and services, as well as the need for more and better participation of older persons in the decisions and policies that affect them and not just those who are affected, but all they are dealing with.
There are fundamental rights that need to be guaranteed and on which discrimination against older persons exists today and they should be eradicated.
The rapporteur calls for attention to the growing use of artificial intelligence in health and social care for older persons. Ms Andrea EDER-GITSCHTHALER believes that artificial intelligence can be beneficial in identifying risks and enabling older people to meet their own needs. However, for this work, implicit and explicit biases of ageism must be eliminated in the design, development, use and evaluation of AI technology.
And, to conclude, on behalf of Ms Andrea EDER-GITSCHTHALER and also as a member of the Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination, I would ask you to support this report which we unanimously adopted in the Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination yesterday.
Thank you very much.
Belgique, NI, Président de l'Assemblée
11:08:34
Thank you, Madam Gitschthaler.
And then I go to the speakers on behalf...
Madame Bayr, sorry, I was using the wrong name, but that's okay.
Thank you, Ms Bayr.
And now we go to the speakers on behalf of the political groups.
I start with Sir Christopher CHOPE.
You have 3 minutes.
Royaume-Uni, CE/AD, Porte-parole du groupe
11:08:57
Mister President.
Thank you.
I think that the description "older person" can be quite patronising. And I don't know whether I fit into the definition or not. But what I do think is that this report has got some good points in it. And I'd like to address particularly paragraph 3 of the draft resolution which refers to this.
It says "older persons experience age-based discrimination in all areas of life, especially in the workplace".
And I'm going to illustrate the point here of double standards. In the United Kingdom Parliament nobody who works in the Parliament is the subject of any age discrimination. Unfortunately, in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, age discrimination is rife because people who work here are not allowed to work beyond a specified retirement age.
And the consequence of that is that those people, even if they wish to work for longer, are prevented by this human rights Assembly from being able to exercise the right to work beyond the specified age, which I think is 60.
And in practical terms, this means that somebody like Dr Günter SCHIRMER, to whom I wish to pay tribute because this is his last day working for our Parliamentary Assembly, he's been the head of department on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, and I've had the privilege of working with him for many, many years, including the time when I was chair of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights.
I don't know whether Dr SCHIRMER would wish to stay on beyond his birthday this week and his enforced retirement or not. But what I do condemn is the fact he has not got the choice of being able to choose to work longer.
And I find it extraordinary that the Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination is prepared to tolerate such a situation at home. As we say in the United Kingdom "physician, heal thyself!". And that's what this Assembly and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe needs to do. We need to remove this unnecessary discrimination against older people in the workplace which is being practised here to the detriment of the Assembly, in my view, and of its employees.
And so let us pay tribute to the work of Dr SCHIRMER for years and years and years. And perhaps it won't be long before we can have what's called a Schirmer Resolution, which will remove age discrimination from employees of this Assembly.
Belgique, NI, Président de l'Assemblée
11:11:52
Thank you.
Then I go to Ms Béatrice FRESKO-ROLFO.
Monaco, ADLE, Porte-parole du groupe
11:12:03
Thank you, Mister Chairman.
The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe salutes the remarkable work carried out by the rapporteur. The subject she has tackled with such commitment concerns us all, or will eventually concern each and every one of us.
This report sheds light on an issue of major importance: prejudice, stereotypes and discriminatory behaviour against people because of their advanced age.
This misperception limits their professional opportunities, whether in terms of promotions, salary upgrades or even further training, from which they benefit far less than their younger colleagues.
For example, a study of 913 female managers in the USA shows that they are constantly judged on the basis of their age: too young before 40, overburdened by family responsibilities between 40 and 60, or perceived as lacking vitality after 50.
Beyond the professional sphere, age discrimination has profound repercussions on social inclusion. It can generate a feeling of uselessness, personal devaluation and loss of self-confidence, while diminishing people's motivation. What's more, the media, by associating old age with images of loneliness or weakness, help to reinforce these stereotypes. These biased representations influence societal perceptions and amplify the isolation of the elderly, with lasting consequences for their mental and physical well-being.
In this context, it would be hard not to mention the excellent report by Ms Edite ESTRELA on the digital divide, which drew an alarming conclusion.
Finally, I would like to stress that it is vital to guarantee older people the right to lead a fully self-determined life and to participate in the decisions that affect them, while respecting their dignity.
Any restrictions, I'm sorry, that are necessary for protection purposes should only be implemented after the person concerned has been heard by a judge. Unfortunately, too many abuses and deprivations of liberty continue to occur, which calls for increased vigilance.
In this respect, the Committee of Ministers' recommendation to member states rightly emphasises that "member states should adopt legislation enabling elderly people to settle their affairs in the event that they are unable to express their instructions at a later stage".
One page is missing, I'm sorry. Something happened, so we're going to do something...
I'd really like it if, in such cases, people were heard by judges before any intention to place them under guardianship. It's important for their self-determination, which is the guarantee that they'll still be able to look after themselves and continue to be active in society.
I believe it is imperative to develop ambitious public policies. In conclusion, therefore, we must encourage the States Parties to promote intergenerational inclusion through exchange platforms, fostering mutual understanding and co-operation between the ages. The above initiatives would strengthen social ties, reduce stereotypes and enrich our society. Let's not forget that seniors' experience is an irreplaceable asset that deserves to be valued and passed on to future generations.
Thank you very much.
Belgique, NI, Président de l'Assemblée
11:15:29
Thank you.
And I give the floor now to Ms Sevilay ÇELENK ÖZEN.
Türkiye, GUE, Porte-parole du groupe
11:15:39
Dear colleagues, first I would like to thank the rapporteur for this excellent report.
Unfortunately, No Country for Old Men is not just a movie title by the Cohen brothers. It reflects a saddening reality. Ageism is a widespread problem worldwide that affects older people in many different ways.
There are valuable works that highlight the vulnerability of older people who are subject to both social prejudice and structural discrimination.
For older women, the situation is even more serious. For example, many older women in Türkiye, despite having worked all their lives, are excluded from the social security system. Insufficient pensions drive them into poverty and social exclusion, especially those women who get divorced, who do not receive adequate social support.
At the same time, society places unrealistic expectations on ageing, especially on women. The pressure to stay young means that concealing one's age becomes the ultimate compliment. A group of women in Türkiye once published an encouraging book to deal with those expectations and to be at peace with their age, a book called Women Who Show Their Age, in which they challenge this view.
Overcoming ageism starts with rejecting this pressure and accepting the natural process of ageing. Furthermore, ageism is not limited to older people. Young people are also marginalised due to their perceived lack of experience. Ageing, while often overlooked, is no less significant as a dimension of discrimination. As an intersectional issue, it can take on a deeply oppressive character when combined with other forms of discrimination. Being a woman, LGBT+, a migrant, a minority or living in poverty can make old age an even heavier burden, compounding social exclusion and vulnerability.
Recognising ageism as part of a broader system of discrimination is essential to addressing its full impact and ensuring dignity and equality for all.
Age discrimination must therefore be combatted at all stages of life. By valuing knowledge, experience and the dignity of the individual, we can create a more inclusive society. A society that doesn't discriminate against its members on the basis of age, but ensures their rights, well-being and full participation.
Thank you for your attention.
Belgique, NI, Président de l'Assemblée
11:18:44
Thank you.
Then I give the floor to Ms Aysu BANKOĞLU.
Türkiye, SOC, Porte-parole du groupe
11:18:50
Mister President.
And thank you to the rapporteur for her excellent report.
And dear colleagues,
Ageing is a significant global trend reshaping societies around the world. By 2030, the world's population aged 65 and older is expected to outpace the younger population, and this increase is expected to be faster in developing countries.
One of the most critical challenges related to demographic change is age discrimination, which is just as damaging as any other form of bias.
Older individuals face age-related discrimination in various aspects of life, particularly in employment, as well as in accessing social services, education and healthcare.
So changing how we think, feel and act towards age and ageing enables us to develop the capabilities of older people through providing integrated policies and ensuring access to long-term care.
One of the most important gaps regarding age discrimination is the lack of disaggregated data. There's a need to collect data for the inclusion of older people, especially in the economic and employment fields as well as on wages, incentives and insurance processes.
Discrimination takes place in recruitment processes, workplace conditions and in the economic field. Older individuals mostly face difficulties obtaining credit, insurance and banking services due to age-related biases. So reviewing and improving legislation to prohibit this kind of age-based discrimination is critical to ensuring access to these services.
Another point is that older women retire with smaller pensions and savings due to the lower lifetime earnings in caregiving roles. With a low salary, this leads them to curtail their health expenditures, and access to housing and to disengage from social life. Member states should act against age discrimination, in particular the improvement of their rights to social protection for inclusion in social life.
We therefore, as stipulated in the report, strongly support establishing a legal instrument at the European level to protect older persons' rights, preparing a recommendation to prevent and combat ageism, joining UN Human Rights Council discussions on developing legally binding instruments on the rights of older persons, considering older persons' rights as an expense to society undermines their dignity and disregards their contributions to society.
Older persons must be recognised as independent right holders rather than passive beneficiaries of care. A rights-based approach is essential to challenge these misconceptions and promote policies that protect and empower older individuals, ensuring their full participation in society. So combating ageism, as against all forms of discrimination, is a human rights obligation.
Thank you.
Belgique, NI, Président de l'Assemblée
11:22:03
Thank you.
Then I give the floor to Ms Albana VOKSHI.
Albanie, PPE/DC, Porte-parole du groupe
11:22:08
Thank you, Mister Chairman,
First of all, I would like to congratulate the rapporteur, Ms EDER-GITSCHTHALER, for the report on a very interesting and important issue.
Today, we are addressing this issue immediately after we discussed Long Covid, both reports that are interlinked with each other.
What we are now discussing is age-based discrimination.
The motto of the UN in the last years has been: "Leave no one behind". But, in the case of older people, many of them are left aside and many behind.
Ageism is deeply embedded in our societies, marginalising older persons and limiting their access to essential services, economic opportunities and participation in public life. Instead of recognising their invaluable contributions, too often, they are seen as a burden. This report highlights the urgent need for a paradigm shift – one that views older persons as rights-holders, as active citizens, rather than passive recipients of care.
Discrimination against older persons exists in many forms: many obstacles, as explained in the report, in employment, barriers and exclusion on digital services, lack of access to health services and lack of financial support, etc. All these prevent them from fully participating in society.
In the first debate of today's session, we discussed Covid-19 and Long Covid which have widened inequalities even more and have made them even more visible, as many older individuals were denied equal access to medical treatment. The digital divide further isolates them, making it harder to access government services and maintain independence.
In Albania, the challenges faced by older persons are particularly severe. The country has a rapidly ageing population, but social support systems remain weak. In the last decade, over 1 million Albanians left the country. 75% of them are young, talented, excellent professionals. So the young and active population is leaving. The migration of younger generations abroad has left many older persons without family support, increasing their vulnerability. This means that their parents and elders remain alone and without care. Many elderly citizens struggle with low pensions, inadequate healthcare and social isolation, especially in rural areas. Additionally, the digitalisation of services has created barriers for those without access to technology or the skills to use it.
As the report mentions, all countries must prioritise age-inclusive policies, strengthen social protection systems and invest in accessible healthcare and public services to ensure that its elderly population can live with dignity and independence.
To combat age-based discrimination, we must implement strong legal frameworks, enforce anti-discrimination policies and promote inter-generational solidarity.
Let us stand together in creating an inclusive society where dignity, equality and respect for older persons are upheld at every stage of life.
Thank you.
Belgique, NI, Président de l'Assemblée
11:25:35
Thank you.
So we close the list of speakers on behalf of political groups.
I go now to the other speakers list.
I go first to Ms Pelin YILIK.
You have the floor.
Thank you very much, Mister President.
Dear colleagues,
Older persons are valuable members of our societies, representing pillars of wisdom, and they deserve our due attention in our capacities as policymakers. I would like to congratulate Madam rapporteur for her important work.
Older persons are not merely beneficiaries of care, they are active participants of the society. Despite this invaluable contribution, many older persons are denied their fundamental human rights. This age-based discrimination manifests in stereotypes, societal neglect and treating them as burdens rather than stakeholders in progress.
One important point is gerontophobia, or the fear of ageing and older people. Combating this hurtful phenomenon involves challenging clichés, fostering empathy and promoting intergenerational connections. Education about the natural ageing process and valuing older individuals can dismantle negative perceptions. Practising self-acceptance and mindfulness around one's own ageing journey, as well as seeking therapy, if needed, can also address underlying anxieties and promote a more positive outlook on ageing.
Many older people face challenges in accessing financial services due to prejudice about their technological skills, productivity or perceived risks. In healthcare systems, older persons often experience rationing of care or are ignored due to biases that give importance to younger demographics. They also frequently encounter barriers in public transportation, housing and digital services. Possible protections against the widely varying nature of age-based discrimination have to be just as diversified.
We must put into place legal provisions that prohibit and penalise discrimination based on age. We must hold private companies to account and make them include policies that help ease the lives of older persons in their services. We must create social systems that focus on the inclusion of persons of all ages. We must make sure that older persons not only do not get discriminated against in healthcare but that they are duly provided with the care they need.
Each of us, whether as policymakers, community leaders or citizens, has a role to play in creating a society where age is celebrated, not stigmatised.
Let us remember that dignity and respect are not privileges for the young, but rights for all.
Thank you.
Belgique, NI, Président de l'Assemblée
11:28:36
Thank you.
And then we go to Mr Brian FRANCIS.
Honourable colleagues,
As highlighted in the rapporteur's report, age-based discrimination against older persons is a reality.
As a result, elderly people often find themselves discredited, even dehumanised in some cases, and thus excluded from society because of their age. At least, this is a phenomenon increasingly observed in Western societies.
However, this reality is not shared by several nations and communities outside the Western world. And even some within it.
In Canada, Indigenous peoples have a different perspective and understanding of the value and role played by our elders as important knowledge keepers.
Nevertheless, the importance of our elders is not simply a matter of age and experience as knowledge keepers, but also of their contribution to individual and community wellness.
In fact, we recognise that Indigenous elders are essential to supporting the wellness not only of elders themselves but also of individuals and communities, as well as intergenerational solidarity.
The role of our elders in intergenerational solidarity is crucial to fostering mutual help between generations, to ensure that each receives from the other.
In addition, the wisdom of older generations can address contemporary issues.
As an example, Mi’kmaq Elder Albert MARSHALL introduced the concept of “Two-Eyed seeing”. He defines this as “learning to see from one eye with the strengths of Indigenous knowledges and ways of knowing, and from the other eye with the strengths of mainstream knowledges and ways of knowing, and to use both these eyes together, for the benefit of all.”
It is both a methodological framework and a guiding principle, as it emphasises the need to cohabit and take the time to learn from each other’s reality in order to work together.
Ironically, “Two-Eyed seeing” as developed by Elder Albert MARSHALL could inform the discussion today, as the understanding and importance of elders to Indigenous peoples could shed light on and contribute to the proposed resolution’s call “for a human-rights based approach to challenge ageism against older persons to guarantee equality, dignity, autonomy, and participation at all stages of life.”
In today’s current context characterised by an ageing of Western populations and the devaluation and even discrimination against elders in the West, Indigenous perspectives on older generations could be “a wisdom that Western societies could do well to examine for inspiration.”
I am pleased to have had the opportunity today to share with you a small part of this important aspect of my culture, and I would like to thank the rapporteur for this excellent report.
Wela’lin. Thank you. Merci.
Belgique, NI, Président de l'Assemblée
11:31:39
Thank you, Mister Francis.
So we can conclude the list of speakers.
And I call Ms Petra BAYR to reply.
You have 3 minutes.
Autriche, SOC au nom de la Rapporteure
11:31:49
Yeah, thank you very much.
I think that all or most of your intervention showed the urgency to tackle ageism against all the persons and fully protect the rights of all the persons in our member states everywhere.
This is also about building inclusive and cohesive societies and intergenerational links and also solidarity among generations.
Ms Andrea EDER-GITSCHTHALER... I will tell her back home in Austria that many of you praised her for her work. Indeed, she will be happy about that.
Andrea asked me to pass some messages to you ahead of the voting. And I think also these messages are quite in line with what was said.
She says it's time to act, it's high time for a paradigm shift. And she calls this organisation and its member states to defend the rights of all the people and give them the opportunity to develop and use their talents.
I think that's really key.
The draft recommendation before you calls for a review of the implementation of the Committee of Ministers' recommendation from the year 2014 to promote human rights of older people and combat age-related discrimination.
And she says that the Council of Europe needs to work actively to protect and promote the human rights of older persons as part of its anti-discrimination activities and also as regards the implementation of the European Social Charter.
Seniors must be treated as right holders and guaranteed equality, dignity, autonomy, and participation at all stages of life.
This report calls for equality and anti-discrimination laws and policies to combat the existing structural discrimination against all the persons in all our countries.
The rapporteur prepared a draft resolution and draft recommendation which is or which are before you now.
And on behalf of Ms Andrea EDER-GITSCHTHALER, I would like to ask you to cast a positive vote.
Thank you very much.
Belgique, NI, Président de l'Assemblée
11:34:15
Thank you, Miss Bayr.
The debate is now closed.
The Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination has presented a draft resolution to which eight amendments have been tabled and a draft recommendation to which no amendments have been tabled.
I understand that the Chairperson of the Committee wishes to propose to the Assembly that Amendment 7 to the draft resolution, which was unanimously approved by the Committee, be declared as approved.
Is that so, Ms Petra BAYR?
Yes, it's correct [confirmed off-mic].
Okay, thank you.
If no one objects, I will consider the amendments to be approved.
Is there any objection? No. Thank you.
Then I understand that Amendment 7 to the draft resolution is therefore approved and will not be called.
So then we go to Amendments 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8 to the draft resolution, which were rejected by the Committee with a two-thirds majority be declared as definitely rejected.
Is that so, Ms Petra BAYR?
Thank you.
Unanimously rejected. [Ms BAYR says off-mic]
Well, obviously following the rules. Yes, but you can say it, no problem.
If no one objects, I will consider the Amendments rejected.
Is there an objection? No.
So this means that Amendments 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8 to the draft resolutions are therefore rejected and will not be called.
We will now then proceed to the vote on the draft resolution contained in Document 16091 as amended and a simple majority is required.
The vote is open.
The vote is closed.
I call for the result to be displayed.
It's 32 in favour. Unanimously.
Congratulations to the rapporteur.
So the draft resolution in Document 16091 as amended is adopted.
Now we have the draft recommendation. We will now proceed to vote on the draft recommendation contained in Document 16091 to which no amendments have been tabled.
A two-thirds majority is required.
So the vote is open.
The vote is closed.
I call for the result to be displayed.
Also unanimous.
So this means that the draft recommendation in Document 16091 is adopted.
Congratulations to the rapporteur.
Now, I will give the floor back to the President.
Grèce, PPE/DC, Président de l'Assemblée
11:37:38
Dear colleagues,
We now come to the free debate.
I remind members that this debate is for topics not already on the Agenda agreed on Monday morning.
Speaking time will be limited to 3 minutes, as usual.
The free debate will finish at 12:55 p.m.
So I call first theleader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, Mr Iulian BULAI, to take the floor.
Mister Bulai.
Roumanie, ADLE, Porte-parole du groupe
11:38:31
Thank you so much, President.
I didn't expect to speak first. I want to congratulate you on your re-election. You had a great performance as President of the Assembly in 2024. And on behalf of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, I wish you good luck and wisdom to chair this Assembly with strength, ambition and courage in order to deliver for the whole European continent in terms of our three main values.
Now, there is a great and exciting year waiting for us. We'll be having elections in Kosovo. And on behalf of the Liberals, I have to share with you my hope that after this moment the country will be accepted as a full member of the Council of Europe.
We also have this year, in May elections in Poland, and I really hope that this will be a moment of reconciliation for this country that needs to reassure its European path and step aside from radical extreme right tendencies that we have seen so far. And what goes on now in Poland in terms of direction is good. It needs to be continued.
I would also like to speak on the Romanian situation, as I'm, of course, Romanian, and I really hope that during the coming presidential elections, there will be no state interference in our presidential elections in order to modify the election results. If that would not convene the government parties.
We'll be having elections in Albania, and I hope this is an opportunity for Mr Edi RAMA to understand that Albania belongs to the European continent with its future and its background, and we should work together on strengthening Albania's ties with both the European Union and with the Council of Europe.
Now, at the end of my speech, I would like to say that I'm very happy that we have, with the great majority of votes, ratified the credentials of the Georgian delegation and that we have reiterated our call on the release of the 55 political prisoners of Georgia. We have asked them to refrain from violence against people protesting in the streets, and we have also asked them to be willing to announce new elections during the coming months. I think that these are very reasonable elements that we have almost in unanimity agreed upon. And I really hope that by the end of April, we'll have a clearer situation and a renewal of the Georgian engagement for its European path and its commitments to the values of the Council of Europe.
I wish everyone a fantastic year. And I wish you, Mister President, again, lots of good luck for the huge amount of work that is about to come on your shoulders.
Thank you.
Grèce, PPE/DC, Président de l'Assemblée
11:41:36
Thank you, Mister President of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, and I personally thank you for your wishes, your nice words, and of course for supporting me being elected for the second time as the President of this Assembly.
Allow me to thank not only you personally, but all colleagues being present, because usually Friday is a day very difficult for everybody. I understand that most of the parliamentarians have to go back to their parliaments.
For example, all the Greek delegation is back because today they are voting for the new President of the Hellenic Republic. I had the ability as a President of the Assembly and I was allowed to send a ballot through mail. But it is very important to stay until Friday. And I really thank Mister President and all the colleagues who are present.
I believe that this idea of having again the free debate is an interesting idea which will help to improve our work, because of course we have the programme, we put all issues which have been decided by the Presidential Committee and the Bureau in the programme. But on the other hand, we have to give the ability to those who want to say something that pops up suddenly during the week and elaborate and give their perspective on major issues.
So thanks for raising all issues which are very important, especially election procedures this year.
Now, next is our colleague Mr Vlad BATRÎNCEA from the Group of the Unified European Left.
Paul, would you like to say something on behalf of it?
Okay.
Thank you, Mister President.
And I want to wish you well and congratulate you again on your re-election. You're doing an excellent job and I know that this Assembly is in very good hands for the coming year.
In this, my final contribution to this Assembly, I want to raise the failure of this institution to address the long-standing injustice and repression meted out to the Kurdish people.
Throughout my 7 years of attending this institution I have seen the courageous men and women who keep a constant vigil for Abdullah ÖCALAN, the leader of the Kurdish freedom movement who will have been imprisoned on İmralı Island for 26 years next month. For most of this time he has been denied prison visits and even access to his lawyers. He truly is the Nelson MANDELA of the Kurdish people.
And, Mister President, there are signs of hope right now. It has been revealed that the Turkish government has been engaged in a talks process in recent times. Dialogue is crucial, but for real negotiations to take place ERDOĞAN must have the courage to release Abdullah ÖCALAN to enable him to approach these talks from a position of dignity and fairness.
I am also calling on the Turkish government to stop bombing and killing civilians in the autonomous administration of North East Syria. We simply have not addressed that issue at all.
The situation in Syria is very uncertain. The new HTS regime which has its roots in ISIS has been welcomed by the West, and there will be few tears for ASSAD, but early signs are not promising. The insistence of introducing Islamic training for the police force, the refusal to appoint even one woman or anyone from any other political party to the new government does not bode well. This is why ÖCALAN's vision for a grassroots democratic, multi-ethnic society based on tolerance, inclusion, and equality is needed in the region now more than ever.
ERDOĞAN must also stop deposing democratically elected mayors in Türkiye, stop harassing Kurdish citizens and stop arresting journalists. All of these activities fly in the face of the principles of democracy, human rights and the rule of law.
Colleagues, there is an opportunity now for a brighter future across this region, but it can only come about through the inclusion of the Kurdish freedom movement.
The Council of Europe needs to step up now and play a positive role in defending the human rights of all peoples in this region.
Freedom for ÖCALAN and freedom for the Kurdish people!
Grèce, PPE/DC, Président de l'Assemblée
11:46:01
I want to thank Mr Paul GAVAN, who spoke on behalf of the Group of the Unified European Left and of course, for his kind words.
Thank you, Paul.
Now I call Mr Yunus EMRE on behalf of the Socialists, Democrats and Greens Group.
First of all, I would like to congratulate you, Mister President, for your re-election and wish you success in this important position.
Dear colleagues,
The topic of our session is free debate, but I want to inform you about some people I know in my country, Türkiye, who are not free.
You are all well aware of Mr Osman KAVALA who who remains imprisoned, despite two rulings by the European Court of Human Rights and our Parliamentary Assembly calling for his immediate release.
Similarly, Mr Selahattin DEMIRTAS, the former co-chair of Türkiye's third largest political party, remains imprisoned despite the European Court of Human Rights' decision.
Additionally, Mr Can ATALAY, who was elected as an MP, is still behind bars. The constitutional court of Türkiye has ruled that he must be released and assume his parliamentary duties. Yet this ruling remains unimplemented. Yes, colleagues, you heard it right. Mr Can ATALAY, a lawyer who has dedicated his life to fighting injustice, remains in prison despite the constitutional court decision.
While these individuals are awaiting with hope to be released, there have been new and alarming developments in recent days.
First, two mayors from my party were removed from office and imprisoned. The practice of appointing government trustees to replace elected mayors continues in many cities.
Additionally, multiple investigations have been launched against the mayor of Istanbul Mr Ekrem IMAMOGLU. Today, Mr Ekrem IMAMOGLU is at the prosecutor's office to give a statement as a part of a new investigation. The citizens who went to the courthouse with him for solidarity waited at the entrance and chanted a slogan from Türkiye's democracy history: "There is no salvation alone, either altogether or none of us".
Moreover, Mr Umit OZDAG, a former academic, former MP and leader of an important political party, has also been arrested and sent to prison.
In my country, where we read news about investigations against journalists almost daily, a shocking development occurred just yesterday. Mr Suat TOKTAS, the editor in chief of one of Türkiye's most prominent TV channels, Halk TV, was arrested simply for practicing journalism. He is one of the most professional and ethically committed journalists in Türkiye. I cannot accept that a journalist is imprisoned just for doing his job. We will do everything in our power to end this injustice as soon as possible.
Our session will soon conclude, and I, like you, will return to my country. One of the first things I will do upon my return is to visit Mr Suat TOKTAS, whom I am proud to be a friend [of].
We will continue our struggle for a country where journalists, academics and politicians are not imprisoned.
Thank you.
Grèce, PPE/DC, Président de l'Assemblée
11:49:36
Thank you, Yunus.
And I'm going to give now the floor to Ms Albana VOKSHI, who will speak on behalf of the Group of the European People's Party, and I welcome her in our Assembly.
It is the first time, as far as I know.
Albanie, PPE/DC, Porte-parole du groupe
11:49:51
Thank you very much.
Dear Mister President,
And let me add to the other colleagues to congratulate you on your re-election as President of the Assembly. And I wish you a very successful year ahead. Please be sure that you have all of our support and hope to have your support when we are in need, as you have done so far.
Dear colleagues,
Autocracies are once again the greatest threat – not only to freedom and democracy but also to peace and international stability. And once again, we must stand against them, wherever they emerge.
History has taught us a painful lesson: appeasing autocrats does not work. Diplomacy alone does not stop them. Tolerating authoritarianism for the sake of stability is not a solution – sooner or later, autocrats bring conflict, instability and threats that extend beyond their own borders.
We must take a firm stand against authoritarian leaders and all those who abuse power and violate human rights. Recent debates have focused on Georgia and Belarus, but I want to draw your attention: there are other countries where democracy is under siege. Beyond the overwhelming propaganda – often financed by corruption and organised crime – a dark reality remains: men and women in my country are denied their most fundamental right – the right to freely vote.
And when the right to freely vote is stripped away, all other rights become illusions.
Today, I stand before you to raise my voice against the erosion of democracy and political freedoms in my country, Albania.
This is not just my or the opposition's fight. It must be everyone’s fight – if we do not stand together now, the democracy in our countries will slide backwards. We must unite to send a clear message to all authoritarian leaders: democracy is not negotiable!!!
We must never trade democracy for so-called stability!
We must never allow the people’s interests to be sacrificed for private gains!
What we ask, is support for securing to people the most fundamental right – the right to freely vote!
Help ensure that Albanians can cast their ballots, in the coming elections, freely and secretly, so that they, and only they, choose who will govern them.
We urge you not to support the leaders in Albania and the Balkans who abuse power and violate political rights. This Assembly must send a strong message: we stand firm for pluralism and democracy!
So, we send a message of hope to activists, intellectuals and politicians who fight every day for freedom and democracy in our countries.
We show them they are not alone.
We encourage ordinary people in our countries to refuse silence and to demand their fundamental rights.
Because where people stand, freedom stands.
Where people fight, democracy grows.
Let us stand together. Let us defend democracy!
Grèce, PPE/DC, Président de l'Assemblée
11:52:59
Thank you, Albana, and for your kind words, of course.
And our next colleague is Mr Sorin-Titus MUNCACIU. He's speaking on behalf of the European Conservatives Group and Democratic Alliance.
Roumanie, CE/AD, Porte-parole du groupe
11:53:14
Thank you very much, Mister Chairman,
Congratulations on your re-election.
And frankly I have to thank you for the fact that you have the initiative to ask the Venice Convention about the situation in Romania. So for the people [who] are not familiar with [that], I'm telling you that on 24 November we had a presidential election. Three days after that, I mean three days before the second step – although the first step was certified by the constitutional court, the elections were ditched. They completely stopped the electoral process although we have 50 000 people in the diaspora already voting for the second step. It's unprecedented in all the European countries that belong to the European Union to have an election cancelled during the election process. So the constitutional court being a political appointee, I'm not surprised. However, what follows is really worrisome.
A former commissioner of the European Union declared that what we did in Romania, we were going to repeat in Germany if we didn't like the results. That's totally unacceptable. That's a backsliding on all the values that this Council of Europe [holds] dear.
First of all, it's against human rights. Not only [of the] 9.4 million people who voted, but also the people who were voted in. That's one.
Secondly, it's a breach against the rule of law. There is no constitutional power to have certified an election and then backslide on that.
Thirdly, is democracy. How can we say that we breached the Romanian constitution by saying that a candidate can be disqualified without being judged in a court of law. According to the Romanian constitution, only a panel of judges – I mean, you have to be in a trial, you have to be accused of something for your right to be elected to be deferred. That's the reason why I'm saying that.
I thank you very much for asking the Venice Commission for an opinion, but when the opinion showed up, I believe that we have the right to ask our constitutional court, why did they fail on all those reasons: human rights, the rule of law and democracy?
Thank you.
Grèce, PPE/DC, Président de l'Assemblée
11:56:37
Thank you, Sorin-Titus, and of course for your wishes.
And now we're going to the speakers list. And I call first Mr José María SÁNCHEZ GARCÍA.
Thank you, Mister Chairman.
I would like to share some thoughts with you during this free debate here in the Chamber not on things that we have talked about in earlier debates about Georgia, for example, but in a general sense. Let's just take Georgia as an example as a case study and perhaps extrapolate from that. What I would say is I consider, and I believe there would be agreement on this issue, but it may be that the Council of Europe does not wish to admit into its ranks countries, which seek to join when they do not carry out elections that are in accordance with fair and democratic principles.
It is an indirect way, if you like, of allowing member states to reject member states that do not abide by those principles, which is perfectly legitimate. It may be done elsewhere, but I do wonder whether the Council of Europe in calling for the holding for free elections is actually operating in accordance with rules laid down by the Council of Europe and if that is the case that leads me on to reply that that is not possible. That cannot be the case, because that would mean that the Council of Europe would be imposing a sovereign decision on member states that do not accept such a decision. So if the Council of Europe deems that a member state is not operating in compliance with the democratic standards of the Council of Europe, then the only thing that it can do is to expel that country in my view.
It can't then claim to impose a decision that only the sovereign state alone can adopt. I mean there are many examples of this, but for example, convening elections is the decision for a sovereign state.
Secondly, I also wonder, extrapolating from the case of Georgia, if it is possible, with what has been called here an election's atmosphere as a validity parameter for elections whose results have been decided and recognised by international observatories that the results are correct, as there is no sign of fraud in the counting, and voting has been legitimately carried out. What type of criterion is the atmosphere when deeming election results invalid? And who will then determine what the atmosphere surrounding an election is supposed to be? I mean you have got to be objective otherwise I think you are paving the way to arbitrary views which are always unjustified. I mean, there is nothing more vague and nebulous than this whole idea of a climate or an environment in which elections are held.
Thank you.
Grèce, PPE/DC, Président de l'Assemblée
12:00:46
Thank you. I call now Mr László TOROCZKAI.
Is László in the room?
Yes.
Thank you, Mister President,
I would actually like to talk about democracy, freedom and freedom of speech, but at the same time, I am sorry, but I also need to talk about myself.
We cannot talk about democratic elections, freedom and freedom of speech as long as billionaires, global corporations, interfere in elections. Yet this is what Meta is doing in the most violent, and also the most sneaky way.
Ms Zsuzsanna BORVENDEG, MEP, and I have therefore written the following open letter to Mr Mark ZUCKERBERG, the chairman of Meta platforms:
Dear Mr Mark ZUCKERBERG,
Meta has a practically monopolistic position in Hungary, as almost the entire Hungarian population uses Facebook and Instagram, making its role especially important for democratic elections. In Hungary, these platforms are inescapable, and a party cannot organise a campaign or a public forum without Facebook, since it is the primary platform where such forums can be advertised.
On 17 May 2019, Meta deleted my Facebook page, which was one of the most active political pages in Hungary at the time. We now have evidence that my Facebook posts were reported in an organised manner by employees paid from public funds by a rival party in Hungary, acting under central orders, creating a network, with the aim to have my posts censored by Meta, despite the fact that I did not break any rules. According to the email in our possession, the director of this party, Jobbik, issued the order for the organised reports on 16 May 2019, and Meta deleted my Facebook page the next day. Later, they also deleted my Instagram page without any explanation.
Perhaps the most extreme and unprecedented measure, however, is that Meta has declared me a dangerous person, which means that my name cannot be written on social media platforms and no picture of me can be posted.
For all this, I have already filed a lawsuit against Meta in Hungary. In its final judgement, the court ordered Meta to restore my Instagram page within 15 days, as Meta had deleted my Instagram page completely unlawfully. To this day, Meta's Dublin headquarters have not done so, which means that Meta has been violating the law for more than a year and a half. By doing so, Meta is sending out a message that it stands above the law.
Dear Mr Mark ZUCKERBERG,
Make it possible for me, as president of a parliamentary party, to use Meta's social media platforms under the same conditions as any other citizen.
Thank you very much.
Grèce, PPE/DC, Président de l'Assemblée
12:04:31
Thank you.
Is our colleague Mr Roland Rino BÜCHEL in the room?
No.
So I go on with Mr Stéphane BERGERON.
Thank you, Mister Chairman.
As this will probably be my last speech in this Assembly, I'd like to break the rules a little to say a few words about yesterday's debate on freedom of expression.
Last June, I took the floor in this Chamber as part of the current affairs debate on the threats to freedom of expression.
In my speech, I deplored the rise of the culture of nullification resulting from self-proclaimed wokism. And I gave a few examples of their pernicious manifestations in Quebec, and more broadly in Canada. The case of novelist Yvan GODBOUT was one such example.
I've also reported on manifestations of censorship on university campuses in Quebec and Canada.
So I won't repeat myself today, but the work of rapporteur Ms Valentina GRIPPO and the subject of yesterday's debate on moderating social media content to safeguard freedom of expression are obviously linked.
We were simply approaching the phenomenon of censorship from a different angle.
It was about the role played by the increasingly powerful corporations behind social media in determining what we see - or don't see - online.
Just as so-called progressives have forced professors and artists to self-censor or leave their professions, in recent years the masters of digital public forums are now deciding for us what views and content would be acceptable.
The report raises the issue of transparency in the implementation of content moderation policies, which are gradually tending to disappear.
On X, formerly Twitter, for example, we found that accounts had been suspended and content deleted without the slightest explanation.
Some of these suspended accounts belong to journalists and left-wing activists, whose worldview Elon MUSK obviously does not share.
The report also discusses the "stealth banning" practiced by many of the companies behind social media.
This is a practice whereby these companies unrefer or downgrade, as the report puts it, "content that deals with controversial issues without informing the user concerned, making it invisible to other users".
Censorship, in whatever form and by whichever company, government or individual, violates our right to freedom of expression.
We must all expose ourselves to points of view with which we do not agree, and which may even offend, as long as they are not hateful or do not incite violence. This is the very principle of freedom of expression, the bedrock of democracy.
As I will not be seeking re-election in the next Canadian federal election, it is highly likely, as I said, that this will be my last speech in this Chamber.
I'm pleased that it was on a subject of vital importance and close to my heart.
Since 2019, I've taken part in over 50 debates in this Assembly, and I've had the good fortune to meet many of you, many of whom I've befriended.
I have truly cherished the time I have spent among you, and I am more convinced than ever of the indispensability of this formidable organisation.
So I bid you all farewell.
I'd like to thank my colleagues on the various Canadian delegations I took part in, and especially the support staff of the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association, and I'd like to single out the work of Jessica KULKA and B.J. SIKERSKI.
So, goodbye once again to all of you. Thank you very much!
Grèce, PPE/DC, Président de l'Assemblée
12:08:03
Dear Mister Bergeron, thank you so much for being with us.
We wish you all the best for you, your family, and the next plans that you have.
Canada is very close always to the Council of Europe, and with this occasion I would like to thank the government of Canada, the State of Canada that participates in this Assembly, which is very important for us, not only because we want our voice to be heard, but because we know that your state has been serving democracy and has been exercising democracy for a long time now.
And I have a personal reason. One of my beloved sisters has been living in Canada since 1979.
So thank you once again.
Now I'm going to give the floor to Mr Oleksandr MEREZHKO.
Yes, Oleksandr.
Mister President,
I should start by apologising [to] the interpreters, because there was some mix-up, some confusion, because of my fault, I thought that I would be speaking about the issue of discrimination against older persons, but it's even better because I like this format where we can freely raise very important issues. And I will take this opportunity.
Mister President,
This year is truly important for all of us, for many reasons. Mr Mark TWAIN famously once said that history doesn't repeat itself, but it rhymes. And it seems like this is the case this year.
As we all know, there are three important anniversaries this year.
First of all, there is the 80th anniversary of the victory over the Nazi regime in Europe.
Second anniversary, the 80th anniversary of the creation of the United Nations.
And the third anniversary, the 80th anniversary of the creation of the Nuremberg Tribunal and the start of Nuremberg Trials.
Each of these anniversaries have a very profound symbolic meaning for us and for the Council of Europe.
The first anniversary reminds us of the need to continue the struggle against fascism in all its reincarnations, in all its forms. In 1945, the free nations, the democratic nations, defeated the Nazi regime, defeated German fascism. But now we have the war, and we're struggling against the reincarnation of fascism, the new, the contemporary fascism, Russian fascism, which we call Ruscism. And we need to win this war. We can win this war only together.
The second anniversary reminds us about the need to create a new international organisation of collective security instead of the UN. Because the UN has failed, it has turned into the new League of Nations. It's a club for debates. It doesn't perform its major function to maintain peace and security, to fight against aggressions. It's a total failure. We need to come up with better, more effective solutions.
Finally, the third anniversary is about international legal responsibility. It's about accountability for war crimes, crimes against humanity and acts of genocide. That's why we need to support Ukraine's efforts. This is exactly what the Council of Europe is doing by supporting us in this issue on accountability. No crime should go unpunished. We should bring to justice all war criminals, starting with Mr Vladimir PUTIN.
My suggestion is very practical and very concrete for the Council of Europe, for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
Mister President,
I think it's worthwhile to consider the adoption of three resolutions commemorating these anniversaries, these dates, because these resolutions can be devoted to the lessons which we can draw from history. We can look at these historic events from the point of view of contemporary events unfolding before our eyes.
Thank you.
Grèce, PPE/DC, Président de l'Assemblée
12:12:17
Thank you, Oleksandr.
And the last speaker on the list is Ms Margo GREENWOOD from Canada.
Thank you, Mister President.
Yesterday, we heard how Ukrainian children, forcibly deported to Russia, have been deprived of the right to speak their own language. The goal has been to assimilate them into Russian society and to destroy their Ukrainian identities.
In hearing this, I was reminded of Indigenous peoples’ experiences in Canada. Like many gathered here today, your languages and mine breathe life into our culture and helps define who we are.
In Canada, our Supreme Court wrote:
“Language is so intimately related to the form and content of expression that there cannot be true freedom of expression by means of language if one is prohibited from using the language of one's choice.”
Just like everyone gathered here today, and this week, there is a richness of linguistic diversity, including in the lands now known as Canada.
Yet not all languages hold the same privileges and protections. Some languages are privileged over others, even though these others may be the first languages of the land. These first languages are in crisis in Canada and, I dare say, globally.
In Canada, the federal government established residential schools to take children away from their families, eradicate Indigenous languages, and assimilate them in the dominant society. Sadly, this policy has had generational impacts which continue to today. Strides have been made. But we still live with the scars of past. Scars that I hope no children have to experience.
I want to leave you with a memory of my youth. One day, I found my father sitting at the kitchen table writing his name over and over again on a scrap of paper. I asked him "what are you going?". And he said “I write good English". My Dad only had a grade-6 education. Like many who attended residential schools, he was forbidden and punished for speaking his own language, Cree. He learned to be less than those who oppressed him. He believed if he spoke “good English” and if his children spoke English, they would be protected. My dad never taught me Cree.
The colonial experience achieved its goal, and I live with that reality to today.
Hay hay. [Thank you in Cree]
Grèce, PPE/DC, Président de l'Assemblée
12:15:08
Thank you, Margo.
Thank you, and especially for sharing this very interesting and intimate moment about your father.
So, dear colleagues,
The next item on today’s agenda is the debate on the Progress Report of the Bureau and the Standing Committee Doc. 16096 and Addendum 5.
Are there any objections to these references?
No objections.
The references are approved.
The references to committees proposed by the Bureau, as amended, are ratified.
The references to committees proposed by the Bureau are ratified.
I now propose that the other decisions in the Progress Report (Document. 16096 Addendum 5) be ratified. Any objections?
No.
The progress report is approved.
The final business today is to constitute the Standing Committee.
The membership of the Standing Committee is determined by Rule 17.3, as follows:
· the President of the Assembly,
· the Vice-Presidents of the Assembly,
· the Leaders of the political groups,
· the Chairpersons of national delegations, and
· the Chairpersons of the general committees.
A full list of members is set out in document Commissions (2025/02).
The Standing Committee is accordingly constituted.
We have now come to the end of our business.
I would like to thank all members of the Assembly, particularly rapporteurs of Committees, for their hard work during this Part-Session.
I would like to thank the Vice-Presidents who chaired during this part-session:
- Mr Bertrand BOUYX
- Ms Bernadeta COMA
- Ms Blerina GJYLAMETI
- Mr Andries GRYFFROY
- Mr Mogens JENSEN
- Ms Arusyak JULHAKYAN
- Ms Agnieszka POMASKA
- and Lord Don TOUHIG
I would also like to thank the staff and interpreters, both permanent and temporary, who have worked hard to make the part-session a success.
I would also like to express my sincere thanks to Ms Anne TORREGROSSA, who is sat behind me. After joining the Minutes Department in April 2008, she subsequently helped to ensure that our meetings ran smoothly and provided invaluable support to the Vice-Chairmen and guiding our debates. On the occasion of your 36th and final sitting Anne, I would like to pay tribute once again to your efficiency and commitment.
Good luck and thank you again!
We all have a story to say, Anne is my beloved name, it's the name of my daughter.
Dear colleagues,
I declare the first part of the 2025 session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe closed.
The sitting is closed.
Safe trip back.
