01/12/2010 President
In his speech at the Assembly of WEU, European Security and Defence Assembly in Paris today, PACE President Mevlüt Çavusoglu stressed that international parliamentary scrutiny was just as essential for democratic stability as the control that was exercised by national parliaments.
“New powers are emerging in a global world and the balance of power is shifting - yet the political models of these new global players are not necessarily the same as ours and nor are their values. Europe has therefore to reassert itself in this new environment, without making concessions on the democratic acquis that it has granted to the European citizens over the years,” he stressed.
“To preserve our democratic stability, Europe has to accept the diversity of its cultures, languages and political practices not as a handicap, but as a great opportunity. Parliaments and international parliamentary assemblies, as the emanation of the people, should continue to play a leading role in this process,” he concluded.