25/06/2026 | 16:03:22 Thank you, Chair. Dear colleagues, Access to justice is the cornerstone of the rule of law. Yet, let us be frank: there can be no justice while injustice remains unrecognised in law, policy and support systems. This was the clear warning of civil society, including Femmes for Freedom, at the United Nations in March 2026. Across Europe, women continue to face structural barriers to justice. This is particularly acute for victims of harmful practices such as forced marriage, marital captivity... 23/06/2026 | 11:13:57 Madam President, Dear colleagues, The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) thanks the Socialists for bringing this important matter before our Assembly, and we are glad to support this debate. Allow me to start by considering the broader constitutional context. In 2017, Türkiye chose by referendum to move from a parliamentary to a presidential system. While that was a sovereign decision, it significantly altered the balance of power, concentrating executive authority in the... 22/04/2026 | 19:02:56 Madam President, esteemed colleagues, At the outset, I would like to thank the rapporteur for perseverance and courage in presenting this report, which originated in the Magnitsky files, and for steering such a complex and sensitive resolution to this stage. The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats Group welcomes both the report and the draft resolution before us today. I speak on behalf of my group in strong support of this, of its adoption. This report addresses a matter of fundamental... 29/01/2026 | 19:19:03 Madam President, Dear colleagues, The report before us confirms an important reality: North Macedonia today is a functioning democracy, where fundamental rights and freedoms are broadly respected. Elections are competitive and well administered, as I witnessed myself as the election observer in 2024. Democratic institutions operate effectively, and co‑operation with the Council of Europe remains strong. For these reasons, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe supports closing the... 01/10/2025 | 17:18:18 Thank you, Mister President. Esteemed colleagues, The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe expresses its appreciation to the rapporteur for his commendable work carried out in a limited time frame. Justice and accountability are not complete without compensation. The Russian Federation must be held responsible for its violations of international law in and against Ukraine. That includes facing the legal consequences of its wrongful acts, among them, making full reparations for the... 24/06/2025 | 15:53:50 Thank you, President. Secretary General, With the signing of the agreement establishing the Tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine expected tomorrow, the Council of Europe is about to take an unprecedented step in its history. Could you outline the expected time frame and key steps to bring the Tribunal into operation and elaborate on how the compensation mechanism will function? Particularly, the roles of an interplay between the Claims Register, the Claims Committee and the... 24/06/2025 | 11:50:36 Thank you, President. Dear colleagues, allow me first to congratulate Ms YASKO on an excellent report that thoroughly addresses a very delicate issue. My task as Rapporteur for the opinion appointed by the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights was indeed difficult. After all, how can one think of legal arguments when dealing with a state – a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council – that has shown and continues to show blatant disregard for the most fundamental... 03/10/2024 | 10:26:23 Thank you, Mister President, This report commemorating the 90th anniversary of the Holodomor in Ukraine gives an important political signal to recognise and remember the cruelty of what happened in 1932 and 1933. Man-made famine by the regime of Stalin led to the death of millions of Ukrainians. It is of the utmost importance to give the victims the recognition they deserve. Today, not only Russia’s use of food as a tool of war against Ukraine, but also the abduction of Ukrainian children and... 24/06/2024 | 16:41:50 Distinguished colleagues, I had the opportunity to take part in a mission to observe the parliamentary and presidential elections in North Macedonia in May 2024 on behalf of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). We formed a joint international elections observation team, together with my fellow members of this Assembly, members of the European Parliament, and the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). In two...