Austrian President reiterates attachment to the Council of Europe and its values

In his speech, Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen made a strong commitment to Europe and its values, and reiterated Austria’s attachment to the Council of Europe. “Without the principles this organisation stands for,” he said, “we cannot have the Europe that we all want.” He stressed that democracy, human rights and the rule of law have to be regained every day and that hence “a premise, based on these values, is something that we need more than ever”. More...