“November 4, 1950, is a historic date for Europe. Because its soul and deeper substance was set down in a text. Europe is not just a geographical or economic space. It is a sum of Values. A way of life founded on timeless Humanitarian Principles. The heart of Europe is the ideas it represents. And its essence is its long tradition of promoting Democracy, the Rule of Law and Human Rights.” With these words, the Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chair of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, opened his speech on the 70th anniversary of the signing of the European Convention on Human rights, during an event held today by the Greek Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, in Parliament’s Senate hall.
The keynote speaker at the event was the President of the Hellenic Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, and the event was also honoured by the presence of the President of Parliament, Konstantinos Tassoulas, and the MP and Head of the Greek delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Dora Bakoyannis. Also in attendance were the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić, the President of the European Court of Human Rights, Robert Spano, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly, Rik Daems, and the CoE Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, who travelled to Greece to participate in the event in person.
In his address, Mr. Varvitsiotis highlighted that respect for the Law is a tradition not foreign to Greece, as he showed through historical references to Heraclitus, Athenian Democracy of the classical era, and excerpts from the First Constitution of Epidavros. “This was one of the most democratic, liberal, radical and progressive Constitutions of its time, an expression of our forebears need to join the course of European developments, leaving behind the lawlessness of the East,” the Alternate Minister said, adding that, continuing this centuries-long legacy, Greece was one of the first countries to ratify the European Convention on Human Rights, which is being honoured today.
Mr. Varvitsiotis then referred at length to a number of challenges that Europe is facing today and that call for constant vigilance in defending the acquis of the ECHR. He stressed, among others, the threat the pandemic poses to our lives and to our Democracies. “Democracy, the Rule of Law and Human Rights cannot be collateral losses of a health crisis. However much the Covid-19 pandemic affected the way we live, it cannot be allowed to alter our fundamental values,” he said. Referring to the emerging religious fundamentalism, he condemned the recent terrorist attacks in Paris and Vienna, emphasising that religious fanaticism has no place in Europe’s open societies. “In the collective consciousness, Europe is equated with respect for all religious beliefs, freedom of expression and tolerance for diversity. Europe will not stop defending these supreme values. It will not negotiate these values, and it will defend them in a coordinated manner, united,” he said.
The Alternate Minister also commented on the increasing challenges posed by populism, disinformation and migration, pointing out that “Europe will not make concessions on respect for the value of individuals, gender equality or protecting health from dangerous tribal or family traditions.” In the same spirit, he stressed the need for political condemnation of certain governments’ exploitation of democratic institutions and failure to protect minorities, as well as the need to project the power of International Law as a means for resolving disputes.
Finally, Mr. Varvitsiotis said he was proud that the Greek Chairmanship of the Council of Europe – in spite of the restrictions of the pandemic – succeeded in communicating its vision “for a Europe of more and better Democracy.” In a brief assessment of the Chairmanship, he made special mention of the establishment of the E-Chairmanship, which brought the Organization closer to European societies, and the Athens Declaration, which is revitalising the spirit of the European Convention on Human Rights. He commented, however, that in the end the Athens Declaration could not be adopted unanimously, because 3 of the 47 member states withdrew their support for the text at the last minute.
Regarding the Greek Chairmanship’s other legacy – the establishment of the Observatory for the Study and Teaching of History – the Alternate Minister commented that “the Greeks have felt the irredentism and fanaticism of neighbours and seen attempts to distort historical truth. We believe that the study of History should unite people, not divide them.”
November 4, 2020