In Dublin, the presidents and speakers of parliaments and parliamentary assemblies like the BSPC declared their continuing support for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, their drive to restore the people’s confidence in democracy, and reflecting those democratic values also through equal and diverse public representation in parliaments. BSPC President Henrik Møller addressed the conference.
Introduction
Every two years, the presidents and speakers of parliaments of the Council of Europe as well as interparliamentary assemblies come together to discuss the issues of the day. The latest meeting was held in Dublin from 28 – 29 September 2023, continuing a tradition begun in 1975. More than 60 parliamentary heads and some 400 delegates assembled at the Irish parliament to concentrate on three themes, after a pre-conference event had investigated “Hate speech and threats of violence against elected representatives”.
Consequences of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and role of national parliaments in Ukraine’s reconstruction
As the 4th Summit of the Council of Europe Heads of State and Government declared its support for Ukraine in its defensive war and the subsequent reconstruction efforts, the parliamentarians spoke about how they could help implement these goals.
Speech by Mr Henrik Møller, President of the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC)
Mr Møller began by stating that they were all living in a time of sea change. European peace and stability had been trampled on by Russia’s war of aggression. Ever closer cooperation was the only way to respond adequately. The BSPC’s most recent annual conference in Berlin had once more dealt in-depth with the war in Ukraine, underlining the need to fully restore Ukraine’s entire territorial integrity in its resolution. At the same time, it was the moral duty of parliaments to actively support the reconstruction of civil architecture in the country, through resources, joint initiatives, and advocating for international assistance in forums such as the UN and the EU. Along with infrastructure, the democratic structures of Ukraine and the rule of law had to be reinforced with the expert assistance of democratic parliaments – to shore up Ukraine’s democratic resilience and thus everyone’s long-term security. Preserving and rebuilding cultural heritage through exchange programmes, funding, and cooperation was another vital task. Mr Møller furthermore highlighted the need to further collaborate to investigate human rights abuses, war crimes, and violations of international law and hold those responsible to account. Here, he saw the Council of Europe as crucial in promoting democratic security, calling on his fellow parliamentarians to actively support its initiatives to protect human rights, democracy and the rule of law. Supporting Ukraine not only benefited that country but all of Europe. Strong democracies could make a difference in their efforts for peace and prosperity: together and united – anchored in their values.
In the light of contributions like the BSPC president’s, the delegates and speakers determined the importance of keeping the real stakes of this war in the public attention and using the strength of national parliaments to set the course of Europe’s destiny. National budgets had to ensure the continued support of Ukraine during the fighting but also already preview the reconstruction effort. The conference highlighted the democratic resilience of Ukraine which had to be both protected and nurtured on the country’s path into the European Union. It also fell to parliaments to contribute to alleviate the suffering of the Ukrainian civil population, in particular children and victims of sexual violence, not least by sheltering refugees. At the same time, it was deemed vital to pursue accountability for the Russian leadership in order to bring the perpetrators to justice.
The challenges to representative democracy in volatile times
Considering the low trust in representative democracy, with increased alienation and weakened links between the public and their representatives, misinformation and fake news exacerbated an already troublesome situation. The conference thus saw a need for strengthening – and perhaps even reshaping – the systems of governance as a firm bedrock from which to respond effectively to national and global challenges. The core values of democracy had to be reinforced through measures such as nurturing citizen engagement and bridging that disconnect between citizens and parliaments. Ms Yaël Braun-Pivet, President of the French National Assembly, called for a “new confidence pact with citizens.” The cornerstone of free and fair elections should be underlined, by combining elections on one day, facilitating secure online elections, and lowering the voting age limits. Mr Lauri Hussar, President of the Riigikogu (Estonia), pointed out that “innovative methods” such as online voting, as his country had established, would allow politics “to engage with young people.” This went hand in hand with combating disinformation, in particular through malign foreign actors, by greater transparency on the one hand and fact-checking as well as social media company accountability on the other. Such countermeasures were needed to shore up the democratic foundations, rather than permitting them to be undermined.
Equality and diversity in public representation – the participation of young people, women and ethnic and social groups as members of parliament
Picking up on the distance between the populace and their representatives, the conference agreed that equality in public representation was fundamental for true democracy, reflecting the people as a whole. This included in particular young people who were barely represented in public life but a large part of the population. Not only should they be given a voice but also granted inclusive education with opportunities for all. But women, disabled people, sexual and gender minorities, ethnic minorities, and disabled people had to take their seats at the table, too. Tools such as quotas had proven their worth in increasing equality and diversity, as had dialogue and scientific research to showcase the benefits to the population at large. The conference also stressed the need to adapt parliamentary infrastructure and working methods to remove practical obstacles and, at the same time, serve as an example to the nations.
Intensifying Cooperation
In the margins of the conference, the BSPC President and the BSPC Secretary General discussed a range of issues with Presidents and Vice-presidents as well as Secretaries General of attending parliaments and parliamentary organisations.
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