Jean-Claude Mignon from France elected PACE President 

Strasbourg, 23.01.2012 – Jean-Claude Mignon (EPP/CD) from France has just been elected President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). Taking over from Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu (Turkey, EDG), he is the 26th President of the Assembly since 1949 and the first French person to hold this office in 23 years.

First and foremost, I want to make sure in my new position that the rule of law, respect for human rights and the promotion of democracy are not just empty words, and that we are moving forward in these areas, including beyond our borders, in particular by engaging with Europe’s neighbours who are moving down the path to democracy,” he said today.

In close co-operation with the Committee of Ministers and the Secretary General, Jean-Claude Mignon intends to put the Council of Europe back at the centre of the European and international stage. To this end, he wants to make PACE even more responsive and more relevant to topical debates whenever human rights come under threat. “The vision that I have for the Council of Europe is as follows: that the Europe of human rights should become an inescapable reality,” he declared. Read more...>>