Speech by Foreign Minister Wadephul to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg

I want to thank you for your warm welcome. Indeed, for me, this is also a homecoming, for I myself have for many years been a part of this Parliamentary Assembly. Upon my election to the German Bundestag in 1995, I was immediately made a member of the German delegation. Later, I served as a substitute. And I gladly think back to that time, which shaped my approach to policy-making to this day. I think back to the topics we discussed in the Assembly – ranging from human rights in general and press freedom in particular, to the conduct of free and fair elections.  I think back to the open exchange I had with my colleagues – with discussions that were unaffected by the political constellation in our home countries.  I think back to the fresh perspectives this opened up when you examined things from a different angle and with new arguments. Incidentally, a 2012 vote I participated in proved to be particularly prescient, namely the introduction of Italian and German as official languages of the Parliamentary Assembly. Thanks to that decision, I – as German Foreign Minister – can address you today in German. The Council of Europe holds special significance, not only for me p...