Former Swiss President Alain Berse will become the new Secretary General of the Council of Europe. In the race for the post, he won last night in two votes over the Estonian Indrek Saar and the Belgian Didier Reynders, DPA reported, quoted by BTA.
Berce will take office on September 18 after a vote in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in the French city of Strasbourg. Founded in 1949, this international organization is made up of 46 European countries. Its purpose is to promote democracy and protect human rights and the rule of law in Europe. One of its key achievements is the European Convention on Human Rights.
Until the end of 2023, Berse was a member of the 7-member Swiss government for 12 years as Minister of the Interior and Minister of Health. The members of the government hold the post of President of the Swiss Confederation in addition to their ministerial position for one year on a rotating basis.
Berse is a political scientist and economist.