On Friday 23 May, Secretary General of the Council of Europe Alain Berset reacted to the letter published on 22 May by nine Member States calling for “a new and open-minded conversation” about how the Strasbourg Court interprets the European Convention on Human Rights in the field of migration.
Responding to the authorities from Denmark, Italy, Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, Alain Berset agreed that these were “complex challenges” that could be debated, but called for “clarity”.
He points out that the Court is an emanation of the will of the Member States, created to ensure compliance with a convention “freely signed and ratified” by them.
“Debate is healthy, but politicising the Court is not”, he says, pointing out that in a state governed by the Rule of law, “no judiciary should face political pressure”.
“The Court must not be weaponized — neither against governments, nor by them”.
“As we face today’s complex challenges, our task is not to weaken the Convention, but to keep it strong and relevant — to ensure that liberty and security, justice and responsibility, are held in balance. That is the legacy we inherit. And it is the duty we share”, concluded the secretary general.
Link to the statement: https://aeur.eu/f/h1k (Original version in French by Véronique Leblanc)