01/10/2025 | 10:15:26 Good morning. I share the concerns that were expressed. I will not go back over the facts that have been mentioned by the rapporteur and my colleague Mr Pablo HISPÁN. But I do want to say that discussing the political crisis in Serbia today also means looking beyond the borders of a single country, because the Western Balkans are not a periphery of Europe, but a decisive crossroads for the stability of our continent. This is why I say that what happens in Belgrade or Novi Sad does not only... 29/09/2025 | 12:14:19 Thank you, Mr President, dear colleagues. So, first of all, let me thank Mr Zsolt NÉMETH, not only for the consistently excellent work he does, but also to mark the anniversary of his election as chairperson of our group. I would also like to thank you, President and the Assembly for holding a minute of silence dedicated to our colleague Mr Alfred HEER. We all remember him as a friend, as someone who was always extremely dedicated to politics in Switzerland, as well as in our home here in... 24/06/2025 | 10:33:06 Thank you Mr. President. I would first of all like to thank the President of the Court for his speech and also my colleague Lord KEEN for his important contribution to the discussion. This is an important discussion, which comes at a sensitive time for our democracies. The open letter signed on 22 May by nine heads of state and government proposes a high-level reflection on the great international conventions; not to weaken them, as some have interpreted, but precisely to strengthen them... 10/04/2025 | 18:49:26 Okay, yes. Thank you, Chairman. Dear colleagues, I have had the honour, in past years, of chairing, on the European side, the Association of Euro-Latin American Women, and so I can personally testify to how extraordinary the contribution of Latin American women is precisely to the promotion of democracy, freedom and human rights in their countries. A commitment often carried out under conditions of great personal risk, but with a determination and courage that deserve not only our respect... 10/04/2025 | 11:14:31 Thank you, Mister President, Dear colleagues, We have read the resolution carefully. We recognise that the concerns raised are well-founded and deserve serious reflection: signs of democratic regression, growing tensions between institutions, difficulties in fully guaranteeing the fundamental rights of citizens. All this cannot leave us indifferent. Precisely for this reason, however, we consider it essential that the dialogue with Georgia remain open. It is at times of greatest difficulty... 29/01/2025 | 16:57:38 Thank you Mister President, dear colleagues, The issue of the Georgian delegation's credentials is sensitive and crucial. It touches on the fundamental principles of our institution and our duty is to defend democracy, the rule of law and human rights. We know that Georgia is going through a difficult time. There are legitimate concerns about some recent policy choices and their implications for the country's democratic future. However, we cannot ignore the fact that a significant part of... 29/01/2025 | 12:25:36 Thank you, dear Mister President, honourable guests, dear colleagues, The Shoah stands as one of the darkest chapters in human history, a chilling reminder of what can happen when hatred goes unchecked. But let us remember this: the Shoah did not begin with gas chambers. It began with words. It began with propaganda, dehumanisation, and the slow, insidious erosion of empathy. It started with the labelling of Jews as “the other”, with hateful rhetoric, discrimination, and a normalisation of... 01/10/2024 | 20:23:53 Thank you, Mister President. Dear colleagues, On behalf of the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy, I wish to thank the rapporteur, Mr Max LUCKS, for the excellent work that he did when preparing the report. Let me also thank the Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination, and in particular, the Chairperson Ms Mariia MEZENTSEVA-FEDORENKO, for a very substantive opinion and helpful amendments that our Committee fully supports. I also thank all members of the Assembly for their... 01/10/2024 | 18:25:03 Thank you President, Dear colleagues, Very often, if not almost always, the calls of international bodies on the situation of human rights and respect for the rule of law in Azerbaijan focus on the situation of the Armenian minority. We see this, for example, with the decision of the International Court of Justice in November 2023, or again with the remarks last January of the then Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, in which she focused precisely on the situation of... 01/10/2024 | 12:41:35 Yes, thank you, President. Dear colleagues, it is truly my pleasure and honour to welcome and congratulate our new Secretary General on his election. I am confident that, thanks in part to his experience, we will be able to carry on our work with renewed energy and determination. But, in this context, I would really like to emphasise the importance of the role of our Parliamentary Assembly. Our mission is to create a space to address problems and seek solutions together. Even in the face of...