Strasbourg
New threats to regional stability and ways to address them through the Council of Europe instruments were among the key themes discussed today by the Council of Europe Secretary General, Alain Berset, and President of Bulgaria, Iliana Iotova.
“A region-wide approach to safeguarding regional stability and democratic security remains essential, as both risks and opportunities are closely interconnected”, Secretary General said.
He stressed that strengthening democratic security is the main ambition of the New Democratic Pact for Europe, which aims to support the Council of Europe’s member states to find solutions to democratic backsliding and disinformation. The consultation phase of the Pact will be concluded by the end of 2026; its results will feed into the ongoing process of the reform of the Council of Europe. The President of Bulgaria expressed strong support to the reform process and highlighted the need to give a stronger political role for the organisation.
Berset specifically mentioned foreign information manipulation and interference as seriously destabilising Europe’s democratic societies and undermining their institutions. The Council of Europe is moving towards developing a substantial legal instrument to counter this and other hybrid threats. The Secretary General has encouraged continued engagement of Bulgaria in the creation of this tool.
Progress and outstanding issues in the execution of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights were also discussed. Currently, more than 160 ECHR judgments and decisions are pending execution by Bulgaria. This week, from 15 to 17 September, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe is examining steps taken to execute several ECHR judgments, including those in the United Macedonian Organisation Ilinden and Others v. Bulgaria group of cases.
Other points included the need to address double standards, as well as violence against women.
The Council of Europe’s steps towards ensuring accountability and compensation for Ukraine were also touched upon, with Bulgaria participating in the Council of Europe’s Register of Damage for Ukraine and having contributed to the current Action Plan for Ukraine “Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction” 2023–26.
© Council of Europe — Challenges to democracy and regional stability in focus of the Secretary General’s meeting with Bulgarian President