21/04/2026 | 20:03:53 Thank you, Mister President. I would like to sincerely thank all colleagues who have contributed in this debate. It has shown both the strong support for the European Court of Human Rights and the seriousness with which the Assembly approaches its responsibility in electing the judges. Many of the points raised today underline a shared understanding that the quality, independence and legitimacy of the Court start with the way we select the judges. Yes, conflicts of interests can arise from... 21/04/2026 | 19:30:16 Thank you, Madam President. Dear colleagues, At a time when the European Court of Human Rights is facing criticism and international law is under pressure, it is essential for this assembly to uphold the integrity of the Convention system, and the authority of the Court. That authority ultimately depends on the quality and independence of its judges. For 75 years, since the Convention was signed in Rome, the Assembly has held the exclusive responsibility to elect the Court's judges. This... 30/01/2026 | 10:12:52 Thank you, Mister President, Today, on behalf of the Socialists, Democrats and Greens Group, I would like to raise an issue that many of us may not yet have discussed in this Assembly, but yet it is already undermining human rights and democracy all across Europe. I am speaking about violent misogyny. Not everyday sexism. But the glorification of violence against women, and its growing role as a shared recruitment space for extremism. What is particularly dangerous is this, violent misogyny... 29/01/2026 | 20:04:42 Undelivered speech, Rules of Procedure Art. 31.2. Madam President, Dear colleagues, Imagine. A teenager finally confides: “I’m gay” or “I’m trans”. And the response is not open hatred, but “help”. Meetings are arranged, prayers are suggested, counselling imposed, all with the promise that this can be “fixed”. The people involved may believe they are acting out of care, love or responsibility. But for the person at the centre, the message is unmistakable: who you are is wrong, and must change... 03/10/2025 | 10:56:29 Thank you, Chair. Colleagues, Sexual violence against men and boys has been hidden for far too long. And therefore, it is very necessary to focus on this topic and on these victims in this report. Too many survivors remain unheard, silenced not only by stigma and fear, but also by stereotypes that tell them that they cannot speak, or that no one will listen. One of the key barriers is outdated ideas of masculinity. The belief that "a real man cannot be a victim", or that "strength protects... 25/06/2025 | 19:53:23 Thank you, Chair. Dear colleagues, we all want to prevent terrorism. We all want to protect our societies from those who seek to spread fear and destroy lives. But in doing so, we must not become careless with the very values we seek to defend. This protocol expands the definition of terrorism dramatically. It includes acts that may cause serious damage, based not on outcome, but intention and context. But what exactly counts as "serious damage"? A protest that disrupts traffic? A cyber... 25/06/2025 | 11:15:55 Thank you, Chair. Dear colleagues, Sport has the power to inspire, but also the power to harm. That’s why both reports we are discussing today share an essential insight. The responsibility for protecting human rights in sport cannot be left to sport alone. It is a public duty. Too often, we hear the argument of autonomy and neutrality. But let’s be honest: when young athletes are sexually abused, when girls are excluded, when athletes face reprisals for speaking up, neutrality becomes a... 24/06/2025 | 10:57:21 Thank you Mr President. Honourable colleagues, When I first studied the European Convention on Human Rights, it felt like a promise. A promise that dignity, freedom, and justice are not just ideals, but enforceable rights. That promise is still powerful. But it is not self-fulfilling. It depends on us. Human rights are not automatic. They must be defended, especially when they become politically inconvenient. They are the last safeguards. And that is why attacks on the independence of the... 11/04/2025 | 10:09:03 Thank you. Honourable President, dear colleagues, we are living in times when the very foundations of our democratic society are being called into question. Not only from outside, but increasingly from within. Across Europe we are witnessing an alarming trend, far-right parties and authoritarian-leaning governments are attempting to reframe, reinterpret or even restrict human rights. They question their universality, they portray them as Western values or elitist concepts. They spread a... 10/04/2025 | 10:12:17 Thank you, honourable President, distinguished colleagues. Many of us remember when in November 2002 the oil tanker Prestige suffered structural damage off the coast of Galicia. It carried 77 000 tons of heavy fuel oil. As the damaged vessel drifted for days, denied safe harbour by many countries, it broke into two and sank, releasing massive amounts of oil into the sea. The Prestige oil spill contaminated over 2 000 km of coastline, devastated marine life and destroyed local fisheries. And...