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With 117 votes Alain Berset becomes the new Secretary General of the Council of Europe

SDA

25.6.2024 - 12:43

Alain Berset arriving at the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly building on Tuesday morning.
Alain Berset arriving at the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly building on Tuesday morning.
sda

Alain Berset has done it! Elected Secretary General of the Council of Europe in the second round of voting.

Keystone-SDA

25.06.2024, 12:43

25.06.2024, 20:33

No time? blue News summarizes for you

  • Alain Berset has been elected as the new Secretary General of the Council of Europe by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
  • The Social Democrat from Fribourg received 117 votes in Strasbourg (France) after the second round of voting.
  • Among other things, Alain Berset wants to promote democracy, human rights and the rule of law.
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Former Federal Councillor Alain Berset has been elected as the new Secretary General of the Council of Europe by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. In September, he will be the first Swiss to hold this office.

The Social Democrat from Fribourg received 117 votes in the second round of voting in Strasbourg (France) on Tuesday, as announced by the President of the Parliamentary Assembly, Theodoros Rousopoulos. The other candidates, Estonian Indrek Saar and Belgian Didier Reynders, received 85 and 46 votes respectively. A total of 245 valid ballot papers were received.

In a short speech to parliament, he thanked Switzerland for its support. He also emphasized the importance of democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

Commitment to a free Ukraine

Among other things, Alain Berset wants to stand up for democracy, human rights and the rule of law. He is also committed to a free and sovereign Ukraine.

Berset also wants to campaign for the regeneration and strengthening of democracy. He called for a strong commitment to human rights and global governance based on the rule of law. Finally, he wanted to make the Council of Europe fit for today and ready for tomorrow.

Berset was elected as the 15th Secretary General of the Council of Europe. Marija Pejcinovic Buric from Croatia will remain Secretary General of the Council of Europe until she takes office on September 18.

Berset received the most support in the first round of voting with 92 votes, followed by Saar (78 votes) and Reynders (70 votes). At that time, an absolute majority (121 votes) was required to win the election.

Berset's future tasks

As Secretary General, Berset will head the Secretariat of the Council of Europe, which, according to the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), has around 1,800 employees. He will work closely with the various Council of Europe institutions such as the Committee of Ministers, the Parliamentary Assembly and the European Court of Human Rights.

According to the FDFA, he will also be responsible for the Council of Europe's budget, which will amount to almost 625 million euros in 2024 He will also assume a representative role in relation to other institutions.