22/01/2013 President
Strasbourg, 22.01.2013 – On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Elysée Treaty, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Jean-Claude Mignon, has stressed that, today more than ever, Franco-German reconciliation offers a message of encouragement wherever reconciliation still seems premature, a message of perseverance in the task of European integration, but also a message of vigilance in the face of rising Euro-scepticism and populism.
“It is important to remember the origin of our convictions and the fundamental principles on which they are founded. At root, the European idea is a desire to establish peace in Europe while respecting human rights. And Franco-German relations, after so many wars, are the finest symbol of this: nothing is impossible! That is the key message of this exceptional partnership. Today, more than ever before, it is primarily a message for wherever reconciliation still seems premature, or even impossible. But it is also an encouragement to all of us to persevere in the pursuit of European integration. When our Organisation was founded in 1949, its primary objective was to never again experience the horrors which our continent had just witnessed,” the President said.
“At this time of unprecedented crisis, vigilance is essential. Vigilance in the face of dwindling public confidence in institutions and the lack of interest in elections, but also vigilance in confronting the Euro-scepticism, populism and extremism which are on the rise in several European countries.
It is here in Strasbourg, a city marked by three Franco-German wars in less than a century, the symbolic location chosen for the establishment of the Council of Europe and its peace-making role, that we defend these values day after day. These values are those which enabled Europe to overcome the devastation of the Second World War and become a politically and economically powerful continent. These same values must continue to guide us through the present storm and serve as beacons lighting our way in the search for answers.
I would like to reiterate, on behalf of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the great importance we attach to this Franco-German partnership and state our intention to continue to work resolutely for closer ties and integration,” he concluded.