A graduate of the University Institute of Florence where she defended a thesis on the European Convention on Human Rights, Greek Despina Chatzivassiliou-Tsovilis began her career at the Council of Europe in 1993. In January, she was elected Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly (PACE), becoming the first woman to hold this post since the pan-European organisation was set up in 1949.
A feature whose importance she is aware of, but which she does not wish to dwell on. Referring to Catherine Lalumière, Secretary General of the Council of Europe between 1989 and 1994, a personality who greatly inspired her during her work on a series of accession dossiers at the time of the post-Wall enlargement, she acknowledged that, for a woman, “obviously more needs to be done to break down prejudices and prove her competence”. However, on the eve of her taking office on 1 March, she prefers to talk about her plans.
For her, the great challenge is “to implement the Assembly’s work” in “closer collaboration with national parliaments to which PACE members also belong”. “This is our added value in relation to the European Parliament and we should take advantage of it to develop issues that are directly related to citizens’ concerns”, she added on Wednesday 24 February in an interview with EUROPE.
At the same time, she would like to set up training courses for new PACE members, introducing them not only to Assembly procedures, but to all Council of Europe bodies and activities. It is up to MEPs to pass these on at national level to give them more visibility.
The health context complicates the situation. Despina Chatzivassiliou-Tsovilis is all the more conscious of this as she is aware of the importance of human contact, but, as a reality, she is determined to explore new technologies. Not to give up “the heart of the Assembly, which often beats behind the scenes”, but to continue the dematerialisation of the documents needed for the work.
As for the votes, her election with a participation rate of 96.46% in a hybrid plenary is proof that it is possible to organise them electronically and securely.
Another important point is the strengthening of links with the European Parliament, on which the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy is preparing a report. Fabienne Keller (France) and Sandro Gozi (Italy), both from the Renew Europe group in the European Parliament were auditioned in this context last December.
“The Conference on the Future of Europe should include the Council of Europe and the Assembly should be present in the European Union’s Rule of law mechanism”, said Ms Chatzivassiliou-Tsovilis . “There are themes on which we can help each other”.
She also confided that she had been systematically questioned about the highly sensitive Monitoring Committee during its hearings by members of the Assembly. This Committee currently monitors 11 of the 47 Member States of the Council of Europe, including Russia, Turkey and Poland. Having been involved in its creation and having headed its Secretariat in 2008 and 2009, the new Secretary-General of the Assembly knows how sensitive the issue of this Committee is.
“I have the feeling that the majority of PACE members would like to see a reform that would make better use of the capacity for persuasion and parliamentary diplomacy that was at the origin of its creation”, said the PACE Secretary General, referring in particular to a now-abandoned mechanism for voting on a Recommendation to the Committee of Ministers to establish a process of targeted co-operation.
“The Monitoring Committee is itself aware of the problem and has set up a process of periodic review of three countries per year. It will cover all 47 Member States without exception, thus avoiding the feeling of stigmatisation. It is necessary to continue to work towards reforms of this kind and to involve in a better synergy all the bodies of the Council of Europe, the Committee of Ministers and the Commissioner for Human Rights, for example”.
Shaken between 2014 and 2019 by the Russian crisis and allegations of corruption linked to the ‘Azerigate’ (see EUROPE 12051/24), the Parliamentary Assembly has begun an in-depth reflection on its functioning, role and mission.
Despina Chatzivassiliou-Tsovilis was the secretary of the ad hoc Committee set up for this purpose by the Bureau of the Assembly. Initial results have been recorded. She is determined to continue in this direction, strengthened by her experience within the Council of Europe, which has become for her “a second family”. (Original version in French by Véronique Leblanc)