The only candidate for the presidency of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Swiss socialist Liliane Maury Pasquier was re-elected on Monday 21 January for a second one-year term, in a context marked by Russia's delicate situation within the pan-European organisation.
This year "promises to be a difficult one", admitted Ms Maury Pasquier in her inauguration speech to a PACE which has been without a Russian delegation since 2014, whereas Russia has not ceased to participate in the work of the other statutory body of the Council of Europe (COE), namely the Committee of Ministers.
After the annexation of Crimea, Russia was indeed sanctioned by PACE, which suspended some of its powers, including its right to vote, while it was not called into question in the Council of Ministers. This last refuses PACE the right to use sanctions against a Member State.
"This is counterproductive and undermines the overall reach of our organisation as a guardian of human rights and democracy across the continent", said Liliane Maury Pasquier, who said it was urgent to "find a solution" because "it is the future of the organisation that is at stake".
For the time being, the situation remains blocked, as highlighted by the massive vote in the Duma last Thursday to confirm the suspension of Russia's contribution to the COE budget and the refusal to send a delegation to Strasbourg in 2019.
"We see no effort on PACE's side", said Ivan Soltanovsky, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the Council of Europe.
He did not rule out his country leaving the oldest of the pan-European organisations if no solution is found by June. By that date, Russia will no longer have contributed to a COE budget for two years, which will then be entitled to exclude it, a procedure that it will prefer to anticipate by voluntary departure.
For Moscow, things are clear, said Ivan Soltanovsky. "If our rights are restored, we would pay our debts immediately", because "it is not our aim at all to limit the scope of the organisation's activities", he said. He also added: "We have no intention to leave the Council of Europe if we are not forced to do it, but the precondition is to find a solution to this absolutely discriminatory situation. ”
Such a position has not changed one iota since the beginning of the crisis between PACE and Russia. (Original version in French by Véronique Leblanc)