New Secretary General Alain Berset faces a major challenge at the Council of Europe

Former Federal Councillor Alain Berset, who will take over as Secretary General of the Council of Europe today, is not facing an easy task.

Alain Berset's political supporters are counting on his soft power to strengthen the organization's credibility. The man from Fribourg will succeed Marija Pejčinović Burić, who is leaving with a mixed record. The war in Ukraine and the Covid crisis shaped her five-year term of office. The Croatian led a Council that, according to René Schwok, Professor of European Studies at the University of Geneva, is struggling to find its place.

"The balance sheet after 75 years is not exactly great," Schwok summarized. The organization's activities overlap with those of others who carry more weight.

The General Secretariat itself ultimately has "little influence" as it is "independent" of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), the Council of Europe's legal body. The post of Secretary General is therefore mainly administrative, according to Schwok.

With 117 votesAlain Berset becomes new Secretary General of the Council of Europe

Rebuilding the credibility of the Council

The task will be difficult, said Cédric Wermuth, Co-President of the Social Democratic Party. The man from Aargau had made a special trip to Strasbourg in France on the day of his party colleague's election on June 25. According to Wermuth, the role of the Council of Europe has become less important in recent years, although it is really needed in view of the decline in democratic values in Europe.

For example, Azerbaijan was expelled from the Parliamentary Assembly in January due to the deterioration of human rights and democracy in the country. Russia also had to leave the Council after launching a war of aggression against Ukraine in 2022.

Switzerland recently voiced criticism after the ECHR condemned it in April for failing to act on climate change. The task of the former Federal Councillor will be to rebuild the Council's credibility, but also its direct impact on the member states. Wermuth is counting on the influence of the Fribourg native to achieve a turnaround in the Council.

Berset is someone who has a vision and values and at the same time can make concrete progress on the dossiers, said Damien Cottier, Neuchâtel FDP National Councillor and Member of the Parliamentary Assembly. And as a former President of the Swiss Confederation, he has the necessary address book to reach the highest spheres.

Deadline of two or three years

Cottier, one of the twelve Swiss MPs in the Parliamentary Assembly, expects Berset to have a stronger presence in this body than his predecessors: "There will be a more direct relationship, and you will notice that very quickly in his style," says Cottier.

One of Berset's tasks will be to align the Council's priorities with the major issues that the heads of state and government will define at the summit in Reykjavik, Iceland, in May 2023, according to the Neuchâtel native. According to Cottier, the organization is otherwise doing quite well. For example, its budget was increased last year for the first time in 30 years.

"The former Federal Council must maintain this momentum," said Cottier. Specific support for Ukraine and the creation of a special court to judge high-ranking Russian officials are among the most important projects that Berset must tackle.

The political environment of the future Secretary-General expects it to take two to three years before his policies have a visible impact. As far as Switzerland's relations with the EU are concerned, analysts agree that Berset's presence in the Council of Europe can only be positive, but without expecting concrete changes.

SDA