23/04/2026 | 17:53:30 Thank you very much, Mister President. Dear colleagues, I would like to thank the rapporteur for this important and well-crafted report. It comes at exactly the right time. We are at a pivotal point in the digital revolution, where artificial intelligence (AI) is fundamentally transforming our lives, our social interactions and our legal frameworks. Whilst there are many positive effects, the negative aspects must not be overlooked. The challenges posed by deepfakes are particularly worrying... 23/04/2026 | 16:43:01 Mister President, dear colleagues, I would like to thank also Ms Valérie PILLER CARRARD for her report. It's a really important report and it's a really good report. As a Swiss member I can say that because she also added Swiss perspectives in her approach, which are really important from our side. Social dumping and labour exploitation pose a serious threat to us all. They undermine fundamental rights, distort fair competition and, in the long term, jeopardise social cohesion. Disadvantaged... 29/01/2026 | 19:07:01 Thank you very much dear Chair, Dear colleagues, On 9 December 2025 the Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe (Monitoring Committee) adopted our report on the post-monitoring dialogue with North Macedonia and proposed to close this process after 25 years. Our report is based on the findings of our fact-finding visits to Skopje, on reports from the Council of Europe bodies, from the European Commission and information received from... 08/04/2025 | 19:32:51 "Thank you very much, Mister President" [in English]. Ladies and gentlemen, I take the liberty of speaking in German. I hope that you did not have a reason for fleeing or a refugee history behind you. Collective expulsions of people are not only morally questionable, they are also clearly illegal. Both Article 4 of Protocol 4 of the European Convention on Human Rights and Article 19 of the European Charter of Fundamental Rights expressly prohibit this. We also have this in this report - and... 30/01/2025 | 16:42:14 "Okay, thank you very much Mister President" [Spoken in English] Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed colleagues, please allow me to make my speech in German. As a politician and as a woman, I would like to thank the rapporteur warmly for her important and well-founded report. In recent years, we have made progress in terms of economic gender equality. But these achievements are fragile. The Covid-19 pandemic has ruthlessly shown or demonstrated how deep-rooted inequalities are holding women back... 01/10/2024 | 12:52:05 Thank you very much, Mister President. Mister Secretary General, As a Swiss national – and I think I can say this on behalf of all the Swiss in the delegation's parliament – I am naturally a little proud that you have made it so clearly. I think that you will be a very strong representative for this body. You mentioned the implementation of the judgments. Thank you very much for that. Of course, I very much hope that you, as a Swiss citizen, will continue to defend this judgment, especially... 25/06/2024 | 17:35:27 Thank you very much, Mister President, Ladies and gentlemen, I am delighted to be able to speak today about this important role of human rights activists in Europe and why their protection is indispensable. I would also like to sincerely thank the rapporteur, who has once again given one of these important topics this substantive focus. Human rights activists stand up for the rights of others in many areas, be it in relation to women's rights, LGBTIQ rights, but also in migration and multiple... 24/06/2024 | 16:16:03 Yes, you can now. Perfect. Thank you very much, Mister President. Dear colleagues, I'm one of the co-rapporteurs of the Post-Monitoring Dialogue with North Macedonia with Mr Joseph O'REILLY. According to our Joint Observation Mission, the presidential and parliamentary elections in North Macedonia were competitive and well-run. An intensive and pluralistic campaign helped voters to make an informed choice. The elections were marred by negative rhetoric, personal attacks, and questionable... 18/04/2024 | 11:30:51 Dear Madam Chairwoman Ladies and gentlemen, Esteemed colleagues, I would like to start by thanking the rapporteurs for these two important reports. It is clear that the climate crisis is progressing inexorably and its effects are becoming ever more tangible. Recent events, from devastating heatwaves to extreme weather phenomena, leave no doubt that we need to take urgent action now. The effects are particularly difficult for vulnerable groups such as the elderly and children, but also for... 13/10/2023 | 10:05:11 Good morning, dear friends. The sitting is open. I invite members to sit in your allocated places to help facilitate the organisation of the debate, please. The first item of business this morning is the debate on the Report titled “Examining the legitimacy and legality of the ad hominem term-limit waiver for the incumbent President of the Russian Federation” (Doc. 15827) presented by Mr Pieter OMTZIGT on behalf of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights. In order to finish by 10:55 a...