Election Alain Berset is elected to the Council of Europe by a large margin

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 114 votes after 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, Berset thanked Switzerland for its support. He also emphasized the importance of democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

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 have a representative role vis-à-vis other institutions.