26/04/2015 President
“All democratic forces need to join hands in combatting hatred and intolerance,” said PACE President Anne Brasseur at the end of a panel discussion on “Thinking the unthinkable: what is next in store for us?” during the 2015 Lennart Meri Conference in Tallinn, Estonia.
In her speech, Ms Brasseur highlighted the worrying rise in hatred, xenophobia and intolerance within Council of Europe borders. “When I try to imagine what the unthinkable could be, I fear that intolerance and hatred could become even more rooted. Populism and extremist movements fuel discriminatory discourse, violence and radicalisation in such an aggressive manner that it is difficult for us to predict how far they might go,” she said.
“We need to anticipate potential threats to our common democratic values and strengthen our efforts to foster mutual respect between cultures and communities,” she continued. “Today, more than ever, we must promote what unites us, not what divides us. I call on all democratic forces, including representatives of civil society and religious leaders, to join efforts to prevent the worst thinkable scenario.”
In Tallinn, Ms Brasseur also met with the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, the Speaker of the Riigikogu, the Secretary General of the OSCE, the Deputy Secretary General of NATO and representatives of different parliamentary groups. She also held an exchange of views with members of the Women's Support and Information Centre and with the Executive Director of the Estonian Human Rights Centre.
During her discussions with Estonian authorities, Ms Brasseur praised Estonia as a strong and stable European partner, and expressed her full confidence in the country’s continued positive commitment to Council of Europe values during and after the approaching Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers.
Among subjects raised during official meetings, the PACE President touched upon minority rights, the need for European solidarity in protecting refugees, and the situation in Ukraine. Ms Brasseur encouraged also the Estonian Parliament to ratify the Istanbul Convention as soon as possible.
The Lennart Meri Conference is a high-level annual meeting at which foreign and security policy issues are discussed from the perspective of the northern and eastern parts of Europe . It was the first time that a President of the Parliamentary Assembly has participated in this event.