Secretary General of the Council of Europe
Encyclopedia
The Secretary General of the Council of Europe
is appointed by the Parliamentary Assembly
on the recommendation of the Committee of Ministers for a period of five years. He or she is entrusted with the responsibility of meeting the aim for which the Council of Europe
was set up in London on 5 May 1949, namely to achieve greater unity between its Member States for the purpose of safeguarding and realising the ideals and principles which are their common heritage and facilitating their economic and social progress.
Although the Secretary General's powers are not clearly defined, in practice the holder has overall responsibility for the strategic management of the Council of Europe’s work programme and budget and oversees the day-to-day running of the Organisation and Secretariat.
that there would be only two candidates for the post of Secretary General: Thorbjørn Jagland
(former Prime Minister
of Norway
) and Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz (former Prime Minister of Poland
), thus rejecting a Belgian
appeal to add two more people to the list of the candidates. Coincidentally, both candidates were Prime Ministers at the same time (1996-1997) and both are social democrat
s. On June 23, the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly decided to postpone the election at least until its September session, thus leaving the chair empty from 1 September 2009.
The Parliamentary Assembly was angered by the decision of the Committee of Ministers to remove two of the four candidates from the shortlist: Belgian senator Luc Van den Brande
and Hungarian parliamentarian Matyas Eorsi
, who are both members of the Parliamentary Assembly. On 11 September 2009, reporting on the election controversy, Le Monde
reported that the future Secretary General would inherit an institution that was in crisis.
On September 30, 2009, Thorbjørn Jagland was elected as Secretary-General.
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...
is appointed by the Parliamentary Assembly
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe , which held its first session in Strasbourg on 10 August 1949, can be considered the oldest international parliamentary assembly with a pluralistic composition of democratically elected members of parliament established on the basis of an...
on the recommendation of the Committee of Ministers for a period of five years. He or she is entrusted with the responsibility of meeting the aim for which the Council of Europe
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...
was set up in London on 5 May 1949, namely to achieve greater unity between its Member States for the purpose of safeguarding and realising the ideals and principles which are their common heritage and facilitating their economic and social progress.
Although the Secretary General's powers are not clearly defined, in practice the holder has overall responsibility for the strategic management of the Council of Europe’s work programme and budget and oversees the day-to-day running of the Organisation and Secretariat.
Secretaries General
| Nationality | Secretary | Took office | Left office |
|---|---|---|---|
 NorwayNorway Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million... |
Thorbjørn Jagland Thorbjørn Jagland is a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party, currently serving as the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe... |
||
| United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
Terry Davis | ||
 AustriaAustria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... |
Walter Schwimmer Walter Schwimmer Walter Schwimmer is a former politician and diplomat from Austria.After being a member of the Austrian Parliament for 28 years, serving as chairperson of several committees and deputy leader of his political group , he was elected Secretary General of the Council of... |
||
 SwedenSweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund.... |
Daniel Tarschys Daniel Tarschys Nils Daniel Tarschys, , is a professor of political science at Stockholm University.Tarschys was born into an academic family. Both his parents taught in Swedish universities. He is married and has two daughters.... |
||
 FranceFrance The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
Catherine Lalumière Catherine Lalumière Catherine Lalumière is a French politician of the Radical-Socialist Party.Before her political career, she lectured on public law at the University of Rennes and the University of Paris I... |
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 SpainSpain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... |
Marcelino Oreja Aguirre Marcelino Oreja Aguirre Marcelino Oreja y Aguirre, 1st Marquis of Oreja is a Spanish lawyer, diplomat and politician.He served as Spanish minister of foreign affairs from 1976 to 1980, during which time he signed the Declaration of Human Rights at the United Nations and was responsible for Spain joining the Council of... |
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| Austria Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... |
Franz Karasek Franz Karasek Franz Karasek was an Austrian politician. He studied international law in Paris and graduated as a Doctor of Law from the University of Vienna. He became a diplomat and helped negotiate Austria's return to full sovereignty in 1955, the year when Austria joined the Council of Europe. He joined the... |
||
 West GermanyWest Germany West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990.... |
Georg Kahn-Ackermann | ||
| Austria Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... |
Lujo Tončić-Sorinj Lujo Toncic-Sorinj Lujo Tončić-Sorinj was an Austrian diplomat and politician of the Austrian People's Party .... |
||
| United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
Peter Smithers Peter Smithers Sir Peter Henry Berry Otway Smithers was a United Kingdom Conservative Party politician. He was a Member of Parliament for Winchester for 14 years, and a junior Minister in the early 1960s... |
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 ItalyItaly Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... |
Lodovico Benvenuti | ||
| France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
Léon Marchal | ||
| France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
Jacques Camille Paris Jacques Camille Paris Jacques Camille Paris , was the first Secretary General of the Council of Europe from 11 August 1949 until his death.... |
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Controversy around 2009 election
On May 12, 2009 the Committee of Ministers informed the Parliamentary AssemblyParliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe , which held its first session in Strasbourg on 10 August 1949, can be considered the oldest international parliamentary assembly with a pluralistic composition of democratically elected members of parliament established on the basis of an...
that there would be only two candidates for the post of Secretary General: Thorbjørn Jagland
Thorbjørn Jagland
is a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party, currently serving as the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe...
(former Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
of Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
) and Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz (former Prime Minister of Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
), thus rejecting a Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
appeal to add two more people to the list of the candidates. Coincidentally, both candidates were Prime Ministers at the same time (1996-1997) and both are social democrat
Social democracy
Social democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism...
s. On June 23, the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly decided to postpone the election at least until its September session, thus leaving the chair empty from 1 September 2009.
The Parliamentary Assembly was angered by the decision of the Committee of Ministers to remove two of the four candidates from the shortlist: Belgian senator Luc Van den Brande
Luc Van den Brande
Luc Van den Brande is a Flemish politician, member of the CD&V and was Minister-president of Flanders from 21 February 1992 until 13 July 1999. He took the initiative to create the Flanders Institute for Biotechnology...
and Hungarian parliamentarian Matyas Eorsi
Mátyás Eörsi
Mátyás Eörsi MP, is a Hungarian politician who was the leader of the liberal ALDE-PACE Group in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe . He became a member of the PACE in 1994...
, who are both members of the Parliamentary Assembly. On 11 September 2009, reporting on the election controversy, Le Monde
Le Monde
Le Monde is a French daily evening newspaper owned by La Vie-Le Monde Group and edited in Paris. It is one of two French newspapers of record, and has generally been well respected since its first edition under founder Hubert Beuve-Méry on 19 December 1944...
reported that the future Secretary General would inherit an institution that was in crisis.
On September 30, 2009, Thorbjørn Jagland was elected as Secretary-General.