Berset becomes the first Swiss Secretary General of the Council of Europe
Published: Tuesday, Jun 25th 2024, 20:00
Updated At: Wednesday, Jun 26th 2024, 02:00
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Alain Berset is the first Swiss to be elected Secretary General of the Council of Europe. His two top priorities for the office are Ukraine and the fight against the erosion of democracy.
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe elected Berset to this office in two rounds of voting in Strasbourg, France, on Tuesday. The 52-year-old Social Democrat received 114 votes, while his rivals, Estonian Indrek Saar and Belgian Didier Reynders, received 85 and 46 votes respectively.
While still in the Council chamber, Berset thanked Switzerland for its support and emphasized the importance of democracy, human rights and the rule of law. Shortly afterwards, he gave a speech to media representatives, among others, in which he briefly outlined his priorities: Ukraine and the fight against the erosion of democracy.
Ukraine and democracy
When he talks about Ukraine, he doesn't just mean the institutions or the country, but the Ukrainians and their children, said Berset. He wanted to deepen and broaden the issues surrounding Ukraine with a working group. The various bodies of the Council of Europe are to sit on the new working group.
With regard to the erosion of democracy, the Freiburg native named important principles for him. A plan is needed to regenerate democracy with a focus on inclusion and participation at local level as well as unity on humanist values, a common understanding of a democratic society with a constitutional state and respect for cultural diversity and variety.
Berset's future tasks
The Council of Europe is an organization independent of the European Union. It was founded on May 5, 1949 and has 46 member states. Switzerland joined the Council in 1963. The Council sets standards in various areas through conventions. One of the Council's main achievements is the drafting of the European Convention on Human Rights. The Council is based in Strasbourg in Alsace.
As Secretary General, Berset will head the Secretariat of the Council of Europe, which, according to the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), has around 1,800 employees.
According to the FDFA, he will work closely with the various institutions of the Council of Europe. These are the Committee of Ministers, the Parliamentary Assembly, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights.
According to the FDFA, Berset will also be responsible for the Council of Europe's budget, which amounts to almost 625 million euros in 2024. He will also take on a representative role vis-à-vis other institutions.
Berset is expected to take office as the 15th Secretary-General on September 18 of this year. He will take over from Marija Pejcinovic Buric from Croatia, who did not stand for re-election after her five-year term of office.
Reactions are not long in coming
Berset's election already caused a reaction in Switzerland on Tuesday evening. With Alain Berset, "one of the figureheads of Swiss politics will lead one of the most important institutions of European unification", wrote the SP Switzerland, his party, in a press release.
His former Federal Councillor colleague Ignazio Cassis also congratulated him. Cassis' department, the FDFA, wrote that the Council of Europe is the most important organization for the protection of human rights and the promotion of democracy and the rule of law in Europe. Since its foundation in 1949, the Council of Europe has created a common legal area in its 46 member states based on the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
Berset was previously a member of the Federal Council for twelve years between 2012 and 2023. He headed the Federal Department of Home Affairs (FDHA) during his entire term of office. He was also President of the Confederation in 2018 and 2023.
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