Athens, 25 October 2022

Hellenic Parliament delegation participates in session of Parliamentary Assembly of La Francophonie

The session of the 34th Regional Plenary of Europe of the Parliamentary Assembly of La francophonie was held at the Parliament of Catalonia in Barcelona, on October 24-25, 2022, with the participation of national delegation members to the Assembly. The Hellenic Parliament was represented by Mrs Paraskevi Vryzidou, member of the Hellenic Parliament delegation to the Assembly.

The main agenda topic was the role of parliaments in the protection of human rights. The Greek Member of Parliament referred to the special information day that took place in the Hellenic Parliament for the presentation of the National Action Plan against Racism and Intolerance, which is the first National Action Plan presented among EU member states. Mrs Vryzidou described the ways in which national parliaments can promote human rights protection, moreover stressing the need to exercise control over the executive regarding the implementation of relevant laws. She also underlined the importance of inter-parliamentary cooperation at the international level and in particular within the framework of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, concluding that commitment to the defense of human rights must be global and universal.

During her second intervention regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Mrs Vryzidou noted that liberal parliamentary democracy is under attack from the arch of authoritarian leaders, while at the same time it is called to manage its internal weaknesses, without being able to find solutions to the citizens’ problems, as it is failing to mitigate growing inequalities. All this, she said, undermines the very concept of democracy and needs to be dealt with, in order to overcome the crisis and give rise to hope for the future. Closing, she underscored the necessity to redifine and adapt politics to the spirit of the new era and the need for the West to make a substantial comeback to reaffirm its universal character and its historical and cultural achievements.

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