Former Swiss President Alain Berset has become the new Secretary General of the Council of Europe for five years.
This is reported on the website of the Council of Europe, Hromadske informs.
The voting took place on June 25. It was held in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). In the second round, Berce received 114 votes. Other candidates — former member of the Estonian Parliament Indrek Saar and Belgian politician Didier Reynders — received 85 and 46 votes respectively.
Alain Berset will take office on September 18, 2024, and will serve for five years.
When asked by the Ukrainian TV channel FREDOM, the politician replied that assistance to Ukraine remains a priority.
There should be strong support outside the European continent. This is not a regional issue, but a global issue for the whole world. And we need to involve everyone as much as possible in this direction, — emphasized Mr. Berset.
More about the new Secretary General of the Council of Europe
Alain Berset was a member of the Swiss government from 2012 to 2023. During this time, he served as President of the Swiss Confederation twice — in 2018 and 2023.
He also served as a minister in the Swiss Federal Department of the Interior.
Prior to joining the government, he was a member of the Swiss Federal Parliament from 2003 to 2011 and chaired the Council of States in 2008-2009.
Swissinfo writes that Berce was once caught using official vehicles to travel on romantic dates. He also flew in a private jet, once alarming French air defense forces. In addition, he was accused of allegedly leaking all his decisions in the field of countering the COVID-19 pandemic to the yellow press in advance.
