“We need a more efficient, more flexible, more resilient and more democratic European Union”, said European Parliament President David Sassoli at a video conference organised by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe today.
Referring to the Conference on the Future of Europe, which will be launched on 9 May, he placed it in the context of the health crisis and defined it as “a moment of reflection” both on the crisis and Europe’s responses to it and on “how to strengthen European democracy”.
A democracy based on values common to the Council of Europe and the European Union, the defence of which “requires all our determination and energy”, he added, after recalling the “historic step” represented by the mechanism linking Community funding to respect for the Rule of law.
David Sassoli confirmed Parliament’s vigilance regarding the “Council of Europe Convention on Violence against Women” (“Istanbul Convention”), both with regard to Turkey, which has withdrawn from it, and with regard to the EU Member States that have not yet ratified it.
He also mentioned the situation in Belarus and the detention of Alexei Navalny, “the European Parliament will continue to demand his immediate and unconditional release”.
“I look forward to the day when the links between our institutions are further strengthened by the EU’s accession to the European Convention on Human Rights”, he concluded, recalling that Parliament was an “active promoter” of the Convention.
PACE President Rik Daems announced that he had introduced the PACE report and resolution on the Council of Europe’s strategic guidelines adopted at this session on Tuesday evening on the website of the Conference on the Future of Europe. (Original version in French by Véronique Leblanc)