Strasbourg

A Council of Europe delegation is visiting Warsaw for talks with Polish authorities on the execution of European Court of Human Rights judgments, focusing on the rule of law and on abortion. The discussions concern how Poland implements court rulings, including the near-total abortion ban and judgments related to judicial independence. The visit highlights continued international pressure on Poland to comply with Strasbourg's decisions.

Prince Albert II of Monaco and Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, alongside Martins Seguro of Portugal, are set to address the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. The two heads of state will deliver speeches to assembled parliamentarians in Strasbourg, an honour reserved for prominent European leaders on matters of shared concern.

All 20 opposition members of Strasbourg's municipal council walked out of a council session, in what local outlet Pokaa describes as a surreal moment. The departure has raised questions about political tensions within the city government and what prompted the coordinated exit.

Germany's Foreign Minister has reaffirmed the country's commitment to the Council of Europe, according to the Strasbourg-based organisation. The statement signals continued German support for the pan-European body's work on human rights, democracy and the rule of law. It comes amid ongoing debates in Europe about multilateral institutions and the continent's security and political order.

Ukrainian representatives addressed the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, reviewing the results of cooperation to date and presenting a new Action Plan covering 2027 to 2030. The plan is expected to guide the Council of Europe's continued support for Ukraine, including commitments on human rights, accountability and institutional reform as the war continues.

A Council of Europe delegation has travelled to Bucharest for talks with Romanian authorities on the execution of judgments from the European Court of Human Rights. The mission focuses on how Romania is implementing rulings of the Strasbourg court, a recurring point of dialogue between the organisation and its member states. Details of specific cases discussed have not been made public.

Ukrainian human rights defenders, former civilian prisoners released from Russian captivity, and relatives of people still held by Russia addressed the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, calling on European politicians to raise the release of civilian prisoners at every negotiation with Moscow. The activists argue that the fate of unlawfully detained civilians must be a standing item on all negotiation agendas.

Alain Berset, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, said the organisation is building a common legal space for an international order he described as being in rupture. The remarks underline the Strasbourg-based body's role in upholding shared legal and human rights standards across its member states at a time of growing geopolitical tension.

Völkerrechtsblog has published a piece examining whether the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg operates within a legal vacuum or merely faces legal uncertainty. The discussion weighs whether gaps in the Court's jurisprudence reflect a true absence of applicable law or simply contested interpretations of the European Convention on Human Rights among judges and scholars.