20/11/2020 | 17:04:26 Thank you. Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, It is with interest that I have taken note of the report by Mr Koloman BRENNER and his draft resolution and recommendation. On behalf of the Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats, I should like to congratulate him on this excellent work on a subject that is crucial to the future of our young people. Academic freedom and university autonomy are indeed signs of a healthy democracy. I would like to thank... 28/01/2020 | 10:34:36 Thank you, Mr President, Dear colleagues, You alert us, Rapporteurs, to the fact that the reforms of the judiciary and the judicial system undertaken by the Polish Government are, in many respects, contrary to European standards. They seriously undermine the independence of judges and the rule of law. The judicial system is placed under the control of the executive or legislative power, or even under the political control of the majority in power. This situation is both worrying and... 03/10/2019 | 19:43:44 Thank you, Madam President. Dear colleagues, This excellent report reads like a soap opera and I would like to congratulate the authors, who have been able to reproduce not a fiction but the reality of the current situation of the Republic of Moldova. As a member of the France-Moldova Friendship Group of the National Assembly, I have just spent a week with five colleagues in this young republic born after the fall of the Berlin Wall. I have seen that the coalition between the ACUM bloc and... 02/10/2019 | 18:47:12 Thank you, Mr President, Dear colleagues, As part of the second International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism, celebrated on 21 August, it was observed that for victims, the emotional damage sometimes outweighed the physical injuries. For this reason, immediate and continuous psychological medical assistance is of great importance. As the Mimosa therapeutic project reminds us, "in addition to the trauma and the violence suffered, it is important to specify that the... 02/10/2019 | 10:43:32 Mr Rapporteur, thank you for your work, which has the merit of stressing the importance of the institution of the Ombudsman. Indeed, the Ombudsman is a mechanism that is particularly widespread among Council of Europe member states. However, this wide dissemination of the Ombudsman model, well known to our colleagues in Northern Europe, makes us almost forget that this mechanism is relatively recent. Thus, in France, the "Mediator of the Republic" (Ombudsman) has slowly emerged since 1973... 28/06/2019 | 10:24:35 Since March 2011, Syria has been the scene of a bloody civil war with disastrous humanitarian consequences. It is quite unique in the world: the country's development index has declined, life expectancy has fallen by more than 20 years, and more than 80% of families are living in poverty. Only one child in three attends school, and even then, often under very difficult conditions. Beyond the dramatic situation in the interior of the country, we must not forget the Syrians who had to flee, and... 27/06/2019 | 16:43:22 Thank you, Madam President, Dear Colleagues, Rapporteurs, thank you very much for your relevant and balanced work on Bulgaria, a country that I discovered with the friendship group of the French National Assembly. The post-monitoring dialogue with Bulgaria has led to substantial progress, particularly in the field of criminal procedure. This shows, if necessary, the usefulness of parliamentary work in our organizsation. It is not a question of stigmatising, but of encouraging and supporting... 12/04/2019 | 12:01:21 I congratulate Mr José CEPEDA on this excellent report, which clearly shows just how social media has invaded our daily life. I am tempted to answer the very relevant questions asked in the title – social threads or threats to human rights? – with a touch of humour: yes and yes. Political leaders and institutions have embraced new practices; they consult citizens through digital platforms, and communicate via Instagram and Facebook. In France, the Government was delighted with the many online... 09/04/2019 | 11:24:49 Europe, and particularly the Council of Europe, have a key role to play in implementing the 2030 Agenda. The reports before us call us to action. Although achieving some of the 17 goals might appear to be a dream, or something for a Utopia, we can work effectively with the United Nations on issues such as gender equality and the fight against poverty. Gender equality is certainly an area in which the Council of Europe has real expertise available to it. Gender equality is at the heart of the... 08/04/2019 | 12:48:31 When I chaired the France-Republic of Moldova group of friendship at the National Assembly, I noted just how much that charming and Francophile country suffered from its geopolitical situation. The conflict in Transnistria, an economy subject to the will of powerful neighbours, the exodus of its young people and the marked wish to turn towards the European Union are challenges that weighed on this election, and the Republic of Moldova must address them. I would like to talk about those who...