Speaking to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on Tuesday 31 October, France's President Emmanuel Macron targeted the Council of Europe member states that "do not respect the terms of the European Convention on Human Rights and push aside its legitimacy" – "Turkey and Russia, to mention just two countries, but they are not alone".
"This risk is at work", he continued, during a very long speech, "because we are seeing the return with a vengeance of a fascination for illiberal democracies and authoritarian regimes" – a fascination that can spread "throughout Europe" if strong and coherent answers are not brought to "what is taking place here".
In the long term, it is democracy that is threatened, he basically said after hailing the Council of Europe's involvement with human rights during his meeting with the institution's secretary general before his speech.
As both "the common good of Europe" and "its trademark", human rights identify a "civilisation" that goes "from the Atlantic to the Urals – a reference to the words of General de Gaulle – as far as its ancient steps like Turkey". It is thus 830 million citizens that the Convention protects on the continent, Macron stated, before speaking out against states that "would like to play their role alone and head off to their own side". These countries "leave Europe and deprive their inhabitants of the most fundamental rights". This was an allusion to Russia, but reading between the lines it may also be an allusion to countries like the UK that refuse to conform to certain arrangements in ECHR rulings.
The respect of international conventions must be "untouchable", Macron stated, criticising "the sovereignists of law" and praising "the enhancement of impartiality" which makes "the strength of the Convention" thanks to its "outside view".
Clear in his criticism, Macron equally advocates dialogue with Russia and Turkey. These two countries "must, at all costs, stay in the Council of Europe because their destiny will not be built by turning their back on Europe". And he added: "it is important to speak out against them but not close the door by leaving them out of everything".
So, a "sometimes unpleasant dialogue needs to be conducted to hold the thread because their peoples deserve it, because their citizens are European" and because human rights are "universal" and not "western".
It is therefore a Europe of values that Macron promoted in Strasbourg on Tuesday, making his visit a symbol that strengthens him in his status as a European leader – a status he holds particularly dear. (Original version in French by Véronique Leblanc)