Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset declared that local democracy serves as Europe’s early warning system against democratic backsliding during an address to regional and local European civic leaders.
Category: Europe
European Drug Policy Reform Drives Security
Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset calls for unified, people-centred European drug policies combining tough law enforcement, early prevention, and holistic recovery to safeguard democratic security and public trust.
Europe Protests and Italy’s New Laws
Rising living costs and housing shortages have sparked widespread protests across Europe, prompting Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to enforce strict new security decrees, military deployments, and severe youth penalties.
World Forum for Democracy 2026 Priorities
The Council of Europe hosts the World Forum for Democracy 2026 in Strasbourg, advancing democratic foresight, addressing global threats, and presenting the New Democratic Pact for Europe alongside youth participation.
Trump Targets ICC in Revenge for Nobel Snub
Donald Trump has imposed sweeping sanctions on the International Criminal Court following his Nobel Peace Prize snub, triggering severe international backlash over autocratic threats against global judicial independence and justice.
Council of Europe and Microsoft Sign AI Pact
The Council of Europe and Microsoft signed a historic framework agreement in Strasbourg to ensure artificial intelligence development upholds human rights, democracy, linguistic diversity, and the international rule of law.
PACE Defends ICC Judges From Foreign Threats
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe unanimously condemned foreign threats against ICC judges, urging European nations to activate legal protections and guarantee essential operational services for court officials.
Russia Sham Duma Election Analysis
International observers and exiled Russian opposition figures gathering in Strasbourg have denounced the Kremlin parliamentary vote as a managed sham, while outlining strategic groundwork for a democratic post Putin era.