Strasbourg, 04/05/2015 (Agence Europe) - Having lost some prominence since the early 2000s, when it played a considerable role in 'preparing' the states of Central and Eastern Europe for their accession to the European Union, the Council of Europe (COE) is increasingly speaking with a single voice at a time when populism and extremism have become grafted onto the deep economic crisis which started in 2008.
In this sense, the annual report on democracy, human rights and the rule of law in Europe, the second of its kind, published by Thorbjorn Jagland, secretary general of the institution, is of particular significance. The text, which leads to alarming conclusions, points out that “democracies rarely go to war with each other”, which is proof that the “imperative of democratic security” is vital.
Jagland stresses that depriving individuals of their rights is the best way to cause problems, adding that there are “two major threats to the Europe of the 47 member states of the Council of Europe today”.
The first of these is the surge in extremist violence. “The idea of 'us versus them' now simmers within many of our communities”, xenophobia, populism and chauvinism are on the march, all of which calls for the states to take action. Repression is required, the text reads, calling for “tough new sanctions for individuals who wish to cause harm” and announcing that the Council of Europe is currently putting together the first international treaty to help states to take action against foreign terrorist fighters.
Another cause for concern is the crisis in Ukraine, on which Thorbjorn Jagland reiterates the COE's position towards Russia: “changing borders unilaterally and through force - as happened in Crimea - is never justified: it always leads to crisis and often war”.
However, Ukraine itself is not beyond reproach in this text, which stresses that “widespread corruption, a lack of independent institutions and the mismanagement of power” have sapped the country's strength. “Kiev is well aware of this”, the text goes on to stress, and the government has now committed to a revision of the Constitution in order to “decentralise power, reform the judiciary and safeguard human rights”, a process which has the support of the Council of Europe, which stresses that the stakes go beyond the borders of Ukraine alone, because “stable nations need good neighbours”.
“Democratic security is a responsibility which all nations share”, stresses Thorbjorn Jagland, who took stock of the situation in the Europe of 47 on the basis of five parameters: efficient and independent judiciary, free media, vibrant, influential civil society, legitimate democratic institutions and inclusive societies.
On this basis, he identifies two priority areas for the CoE's work.
The first concerns widespread weaknesses within the judicial systems of more than a third of member states, where corruption is rife, leading to public mistrust in the system.
The second has to do with the “worsening conditions for free media”, a problem which is “bigger, deeper and geographically wider than was previously understood”. Disproportionate repression tactics in certain countries, excessive concentration of the media and/or favour being shown to incumbent politicians in others - the picture painted is quite alarming.
In order to tackle this situation, Thorbjorn Jagland undertakes to ensure that the Council of Europe “redoubles its efforts”, particularly stepping up the training of judges and other legal professionals as part of a pan-European action plan, which will bring together all member states and put independent judiciaries at the forefront of the organisation's work.
A three-year programme will also be set up to improve protection for journalists and media freedom will enjoy a priority status in all cooperation programmes between the CoE and all of its member states.
Additionally, the European leaders are called upon to ensure that these measures are accompanied by political will, which will be reflected in initiatives specific to each country. The document goes on to detail, chapter by chapter, a raft of proposals for action at European, regional and national level.
The 2015 report of the COE does not refer to any member state by name, but is based on the reports of the COE's various thematic monitoring bodies which examine the situation on a country-by-country basis. These bodies include the Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT), the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance and the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ). (Véronique Leblanc)