27/01/2026 | 17:04:37 Thank you, Madam President. Congratulations to you too. Dear colleagues, on behalf of the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy, I warmly welcome this report and the quality of the debate it has generated. From the outset, I would like to thank the rapporteur for his strong commitment to this work. Thank you, Mr Damien COTTIER. His role in the organisation of the Bern conference in 2023, his sustained engagement with experts and his ability to connect practical experience with the core... 01/10/2025 | 19:29:14 Thank you Mister President, ladies and gentlemen, On behalf of the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy, I would first of all like to thank the rapporteur Mr Eerik-Niiles KROSS for his work and for guiding this complex but crucial effort to today's debate. The resolution before us sets out a clear objective: to create a structured platform for dialogue with Russia's democratic forces - those who oppose the war, those who support Ukraine's sovereignty, those who work for a Russia that... 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...