24/05/2024 Standing Committee
“In this 75th anniversary of the Council of Europe, we may feel that European citizens have lost faith in the European values and in our democratic institutions – some are even turning to exclusion, hatred and populism,” Ingjerd Schou (Norway, EPP/CD) said today, opening of a current affairs debate on “The 75th anniversary of the Council of Europe: how to ensure the participation of all Europeans in the future of our Organisation?”
However, “our European citizens are looking for our leadership and for answers to the dangers we face,” she continued. “As politicians, we must find ways to engage with the citizens of all of Europe, win their trust, show them that they have a role to play, and find ways to prove to them that the Council of Europe, the international multilateral institutions, are not just distant talking shops,” she added.
“The Foreign ministers of our member states must be more active, prove the relevance of our Organisation and assert that it matters, and makes a difference to Europeans’ everyday lives,” Ms Schou concluded.