A crackdown on demonstrators in Turkey, the detention of the mayor of Istanbul and a clampdown on pro-EU protesters in Georgia – there is currently no shortage of challenges to the Council of Europe from its own members. Europe's largest and oldest intergovernmental body – comprising 46 countries – has a relatively new boss: Alain Berset became secretary general in September 2024. We ask him if human rights are under attack, and what recourse he has when members flout the organisation's core principles and values. Before his current role, Berset was an elected minister in the government of Switzerland. 

"We have some issues with member states. It is a bit more difficult maybe today than it was 15 years ago," Berset concedes. "It is unacceptable not to see a strong fight on violence against women and girls. We are seeing right now a kind of strange backsliding on those issues – if you look at political debates, quotes or positions being taken on those issues," he says. While noting that one country – Turkey – has left the Istanbul Convention on preventing violence against women, Berset points out that "we have new countries joining. So the development is never linear."

Berset stresses that "the most important thing is always to recall the principles (of the Council of Europe): freedom of assembly, freedom of speech, well-functioning democracies with diversity of the media. We are facing huge challenges on our continent, and in the world in general, so it is quite logical that this has consequences for our organisation."

Asked how his organisation can ensure compliance with its norms and values from member states, Berset says: "We have the strong commitment, coming from all member states, that have signed the European Convention of Human Rights. That's really the strong text that we have at the centre of our activities. And we also have the European Court of Human Rights. This legal body takes decisions against states when human rights are not respected. And then we have the political side. It’s not always easy, to be honest, but we have quite a high level of execution. Where it's not executed, we are in dialogue with member states to find a way."

Berset has said that the Council of Europe is ready to put the "special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine" swiftly in place.

"We do not want to live in a world where violence, destruction and impunity will prevail," Berset states. "We want and need to have a world where peaceful relations, rule of law and accountability will prevail. That's the European Court of Human Rights. That's the first pillar. The second pillar is about the register of damages, and the claims commission. Then the third pillar will be about the special tribunal addressing the crime of aggression. And we are ready. The so-called 'core group' of countries decided to make the next step. And we will ask very soon if it's possible for us to do the organisation of this special tribunal. If there is political will and support from member states and other states, then we are ready to act."

Berset's advocacy for democratic principles of course raises the question of disinformation, foreign interference and how populist movements function. We ask him about the recent ruling in France that barred far-right figurehead Marine Le Pen from running for office, pending an appeal. "Being active in politics, being high in the opinion polls, never gives you the right not to respect the law. The opposite should be true. We do have higher expectations regarding the law for politicians. Regarding the case you mentioned, the law was known. There are possibilities to appeal. But this kind of thinking where, because you are active in politics, you are above the law – this would be extremely dangerous for democracies."

Programme prepared by Oihana Almandoz, Luke Brown, Perrine Desplats and Isabelle Romero

Camera: Luke Brown and Johan Bodin