Former Swiss president, Alain Berset, was elected as Secretary-General of the Council of Europe on Tuesday evening, a pan-European organisation promoting democracy and human rights, beating the Estonian Indrek Saar and the Belgian Didier Reynders.
The Swiss socialist won the second round with 114 votes, compared to 85 for the ex-Estonian minister and 46 for the European Commissioner of Justice, announced Theodoros Rousopoulos, president of the Parliamentary Assembly for the institution. Mr Berset will take up his role on 18 September.
"Ukraine is the primary priority," stated the future high-ranking official during a press conference following the announcement of the results. "I plan to initiate discussions for the swift creation of a task force that regularly brings together members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the committee of ministers, the secretariat general and the Congress to discuss and prepare proposals."
He discussed debates over a compensation mechanism for Ukrainian victims of the Russian war and the creation of a special tribunal for Ukraine backed by an international network beyond the 46 member states of the Council of Europe.
During this era of rising populist movement in parts of Europe and around the world, the Swiss official also made democratic erosion a priority. "The real question is how to best implement these principles among youth, in education, and in the fight against disinformation," he said.
Berset was one of the most popular political leaders in Switzerland when he surprised everyone with his departure from the Federal Council at the end of 2023.
For 12 years, this member of the Socialist Party held the portfolio for internal affairs within the Swiss federal government. In this role, which covers health matters, he managed the most severe crisis of his career: the Covid-19 pandemic.
At the height of the crisis, he faced death threats and was placed under police protection, a rare occurrence in Switzerland.
Alain Berset also held the rotating presidency of the Swiss Confederation twice in 2018 and 2023. This is a primarily ceremonial one-year post that federal councillors hold alongside their ministry.
Following his defeat for the second time after losing five years earlier to Croatian Marija Pejcinovic Buric, Didier Reynders, 65 years old, is set to return to the European Commission where his term as European Commissioner of Justice is due to end. He took an unpaid leave from this role in mid-April to run his candidacy.
'I have no regrets'
Arriving in third place, the former EU commissioner from Belgium and MR politician said he was still satisfied with his choice to run and campaign.
"I have no regrets," Reynders told the Belga agency, "as I initiated a campaign based on different text and structural proposals." Referring to the newly appointed Swiss Secretary General, Alain Berset, he wished him and the institution good luck and emphasised his respect for the choices made by the parliamentarians who didn't want the suggested changes.
The former Belgian Minister of Finance, Foreign Affairs and Defence expressed disappointment at not having had the opportunity for debates between candidates for the post. He maintains his belief in the need for significant reforms within the institution.
After 25 years in executive roles, he had hoped to bring a fresh approach to an institution he claims is often misunderstood by the public.
