Ex-Swiss minister Berset takes Council of Europe top job

Berset gathered enough votes in the second round of voting. Keystone / Anthony Anex

Former Swiss government minister Alain Berset has been elected as the new Secretary General of the Council of Europe by the organisation's parliamentary assembly.

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Berset received the most votes in the second round of voting in Strasbourg on Tuesday. He will be the first Swiss to hold this office when he assumes duties in September.

He received 114* votes after the second round of voting in Strasbourg, France, announced by the President of the Parliamentary Assembly, Theodoros Rousopoulos. The other candidates, Estonian Indrek Saar and Belgian Didier Reynders, received 85 and 46 votes respectively. A total of 245 valid ballot papers were received.

In a short speech to parliament, Berset thanked Switzerland for its support. He also emphasised the importance of democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

Berset was elected as the 15th Secretary General of the Council of Europe. Marija Pejcinovic Buric from Croatia will remain Secretary General of the Council of Europe until Berset takes office on September 18.

As Secretary General, Berset will head the Secretariat of the Council of Europe, which according to the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) has around 1,800 employees. He will work closely with the various Council of Europe institutions such as the Committee of Ministers, the Parliamentary Assembly and the European Court of Human Rights.

According to the FDFA, he will also be responsible for the Council of Europe’s budget, which amounts to almost €625 million euros 2024. He will also assume a representative role in relation to other institutions.

Translated from German by DeepL/mga

* This article was changed to correct the stated number of votes from 117 in the original version to the correct number of 114.

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