Strasbourg, 7 May 2009
Pottering sums up his term as he bids farewell to his presidency
In a calm voice that perhaps belied his emotions, Hans-Gert Pottering gave his farewell speech after two and a half years as Parliament's President on Wednesday. He noted that since the last elections the House had adapted to MEPs from 12 new countries, adopted scores of pieces of legislation and had undertaken internal reform. He also spoke of the support it had given to the Middle East peace process and cultural exchange. He finished by urging people to vote in the June elections.
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Strasbourg, 4 May 2009
60th Anniversary of the Council of Europe
In the first sixty years of its existence, the Council of Europe has helped to reconcile a continent after decades of ideological divide, created a Europe-wide court in which individuals can seek protection of their human rights, outlawed the death penalty in Europe, and produced an arsenal of more than 200 international treaties to defend and extend the Council of Europe values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law. Political stimulus is provided through a Parliamentary Assembly which also elects the organisation’s most important officials through an open and competitive vote. Grassroot democracy is cultivated by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities.
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