To mark the 70th anniversary of Germany’s full membership of the Council of Europe, the Federal Foreign Office and the European Movement Germany jointly hosted an online celebration on 4 May, which was broadcast live from Berlin as a hybrid event. Around 500 viewers took part in the livestream, which was interpreted in German and English. Numerous high-ranking guests from politics and society were speaking, the President of the German Bundestag, Dr Wolfgang Schäuble held the commemorative speech.

At the beginning of the event, the President of EM Germany, Dr Linn Selle, reminded the audience of the special nature of this anniversary and emphasised that the step taken on 2 May 1951 was an important one for Germany’s return to the European democratic community. The Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Aid, Dr Bärbel Kofler, also welcomed the guests and emphasised the responsibility arising from the achievements of 70 years of membership in the Council of Europe. In the following panel debate, attended by Dunja Mijatović, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, Dr Andreas Nick, Chairperson of the German Delegation and Vice-President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Eva Maydell, President of the European Movement International and Lukas Stede, Member of the Advisory Council on Youth of the Council of Europe, the topics of Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law were illuminated. 

Maydell commented on these topics on Twitter as follows: “Europe is at the forefront of finding ways to regulate the future digital world in line with our strong democratic principles and shared values.”

One of the highlights of the event was the speech of Wolfgang Schäuble in which he focused not only on the history of the Council of Europe but on it’s future, too. He praised the successes achieved so far, but also warned that in the light of great challenges that Europe is facing, deficits should not be ignored.

Michael Roth, Minister of State for Europe at the German Federal Foreign Office, who gave the closing speech of the two-hour event, was optimistic about the future of the Council of Europe. Roth particularly emphasised the protection of minorities in Europe and stressed: “An united Europe is a colourful and open one”.

In addition to the guests attending the festive event on site or via video conference, international video congratulations from abroad were integrated. Among them: Clément Beaune, French State Secretary for European Affairs, Dr. Bernd Vöhringer, President of the Chamber of Local Authorities of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, Anna Rurka, President of the Conference of International Non-Governmental Organisations (INGOs) in the Council of Europe and Zsolt Németh, Chairperson of the Hungarian Delegation, Vice-President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and Chairperson of the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

To watch the full english stream, please see here.