Alain Berset candidates for Council of Europe Secretary General

The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) submitted the candidature to the Chair of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. Keystone / Anthony Anex

Former interior minister, Alain Berset has expressed his interest in the post of Secretary General of the Council of Europe based in Strasbourg. The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) supports the candidature.

The FDFA submitted the candidature to the Chair of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on Wednesday, the department announced on Wednesday evening.

The Secretary General is elected for a period of five years by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on the recommendation of the Committee of Ministers. The Parliamentary Assembly will make its decision in June 2024 and the position term will begin on September 18, 2024. The current incumbent is Marija Pejčinović Burić from Croatia.

The 51-year-old Berset stepped down from his Swiss government positions at the end of December 2023. It was considered unlikely that he would retire afterwards. So far, nothing had leaked out about Berset’s future. When he resigned, he had stated that he wanted to take time to reflect.

Many assets 

The FDFA has spoken to Berset and he is an excellent candidate, said an FDFA spokesperson Nicolas Bideau to the Keystone-SDA news agency. “Given his background, he has many assets for the office,” said Bideau. He recalled Berset’s many years as interior minister.

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In this role, he had dealt intensively with topics such as culture, social affairs and gender equality. These are topics in which the Council of Europe is very active. Berset also has extensive experience as a manager and has twice held the rotating office as President of the Swiss Confederation. This gives Berset a very solid background at international level, said Bideau.

The Council of Europe is one of the few institutions that politically unites the entire European continent. The unifying role of the Council of Europe suits Switzerland well.

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The Council of Europe is concerned with the promotion of human rights, democracy and the rule of law in its 46 member states. Binding international agreements such as the European Convention on Human Rights are concluded within the framework of the Council of Europe with the aim of promoting economic and social progress and preserving our common heritage. Switzerland has been a member of the Council of Europe since 1963.

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