As delivered by Alain Berset, Secretary General of the Council of Europe
It is a pleasure to welcome you all this morning to the Council of Europe for the launch of the Book of Europe. Though, Mr Prime Minister, I have to say — it seems like you already got a head start at the Summit in Kyiv on Monday!
More seriously, I fully agree with you, Dear Daniel, when you told these leaders gathered in Ukraine and online for the third anniversary of the war:
“We need European answers to European problems. And we need a vision for where our continent is heading.”
Rarely has this call to action been more true — or more urgent — than it is today. Rarely has Europe felt a greater need to find its own solutions:
to define its security, strengthen its democracies, and stand together in the face of shifting alliances and growing uncertainty.
This much-needed book comes at the right time.
I was honoured to write the foreword — and to be in such good company.
The Book of Europe offers not just a vision, but more than 30 perspectives on the future of our continent.
Like Europe itself, it is greater than the sum of its parts. Each voice, each story adds depth to the whole — reminding us that our shared future is shaped by those who dare to see, to dream,
and to act.
I see several themes in the book that speak directly to the challenges and aspirations of our time.
***
The first is the story of our origins — and what it means for Europe today and tomorrow
The Council of Europe was born from the ruins of a world war, built on a simple but powerful promise: Never Again.
As my newly appointed Special Envoy for the Children of Ukraine, Thórdís Gylfadóttir, put it in the book: “The Council of Europe serves a unique role among international organisations. It was founded as a wave of diplomatic creativity surged over a world shattered by terrible wars.”
This makes me think about what René Cassin said in his Nobel Lecture in 1968: “Despite what confirmed pessimists say about the matter, there is at least one continent where an impressive array of states has committed itself to heeding the lessons of the Second World War.”
He was talking about the European Convention on Human Rights and the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights.
***
Another central theme is the power of our values — the values we share.
How central are the core values of the Council of Europe — human rights, democracy, and the rule of law — to the conversation in this book?
Well, I counted. Human rights appears 108 times. Democracy? 113 times. And Rule of law?
65 times.
Behind these numbers, we find beliefs and ideas that resonate deeply with European leaders.
Take UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, for example, who wrote about dignity and what it means to be human.
For him: “The European Convention on Human Rights is one of the defining achievements of the Council. I first read about the principles that it enshrines as a student 40 years ago in a law library in Leeds. They inspired me then and I still draw strength from them today — because they speak about the dignity of everyone and the very essence of what it is to be human.”
The President of the Slovak Republic, Peter Pellegrini, describes a vision Europe standing on 12 pillars — for the number of stars on the European flag. These pillars range from a “multilateral Europe” to a “globally competitive Europe.”
I believe that we must put our shared values at the centre of our vision and action. That is the case with dialogue. Disagreeing, exchanging ideas — this is how we progress. Like a family. But the term “family” was only used six times in the book.
***
Another key theme is the pursuit of unity and equality.
The book is a powerful reminder that for many, peace did not come with the end of the second world war.
Margus Tsahkna, Estonia’s Foreign Minister, wrote of feeling forgotten, abandoned behind the Iron Curtain.
Lars Rasmussen, Denmark’s Foreign Minister, remembers jumping into his run-down Volvo 142 with his wife and driving straight to Berlin when they heard the Wall had fallen in 1989. He still keeps a brick from that night — a reminder that when walls fall, freedom rises.
With that freedom came a new era. As the Cold War ended, democracy took root across Eastern Europe, and the Council of Europe nearly doubled in size — welcoming new nations, new voices,
and a renewed commitment to human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.
The work of building a united Europe is never finished — especially in the face of ever-evolving challenges.
As Ingrida Šimonytė, Prime Minister of Lithuania, wrote in the book: autocracies are on the rise and uniting, while the backsliding of democracy is evident.
***
Dear Daniel,
I will make the Book of Europe required reading at the Council of Europe.
Let’s also make sure this book does not just land on the desks of European leaders. It belongs in classrooms, in the hands of young Europeans.
This is a book by Europe, of Europe, for Europe.
A record of our shared history, our common values, and the principles that bind us together.
Like any book, its story is still being written. And it is up to us — to ensure that the next chapters live up to the ideals we stand for.