Numerous heads of government meet in Reykjavik. Among others, Italy's Giorgia Meloni, France's Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Reykjavik - For only the fourth time in the more than 70-year history of the Council of Europe, the heads of state and government will meet for a summit on Tuesday and Wednesday. The guest list has it all: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, but also EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and many more want to talk about the observance of human rights and more support for Ukraine in Reykjavik, Iceland.
The first summit in almost 20 years is to be the starting point for a reorientation of the Council of Europe, it was said in advance. A Council of Europe 2.0 seems urgently needed, because the organization has an image problem. Hardly anyone knows the institution, which has nothing to do with the EU.
Emmanuel Macron (M), President of France, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (r, SPD) and Volodymyr Zelensky at a meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris. © Sarah Meyssonnier/dpa
The Council of Europe has 46 member states
The Council of Europe was founded in 1949 as one of the first political organisations in Europe. It includes 46 states, including all 27 member states of the EU, but also Great Britain, Turkey, Ukraine and Azerbaijan. The core concerns are the promotion of human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
However, the organization has recently been on rather shaky ground. Russia was excluded last year because of the war of aggression against Ukraine. The summit is now also intended to signal unity, because there are other shaky candidates for whom it is not certain how steadfast they actually stand by the Council of Europe - which is mainly due to the court rulings of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). This is part of the Council of Europe. It can, for example, impose fines on member states if they do not respect the Convention on Human Rights.
Council of Europe and conflicts with Turkey
As a result, relations with Turkey have become increasingly conflict-ridden in recent years. The government under Recep Tayyip Erdogan has significantly expanded its influence on the judiciary in recent years and imprisoned many of its critics. She often criticized judgments of the ECtHR as foreign and unlawful influence.
The Strasbourg institution has launched infringement proceedings against Turkey for failing to implement judgments and related human rights violations. But Erdogan could be history by the end of the month. His challenger in the run-off presidential election on May 28, Kemal Kilicdaroglu of the social democratic CHP party, promises change. (mse/dpa)