Alain Berset becomes new Secretary General of Council of Europe

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has elected Alain Berset as Secretary General of the Council of Europe for a five-year term. He will take office on 18 September 2024.

Berce, a representative of Switzerland, has been elected from the second round, where he received 114 votes. That is, a majority.

 The other candidates, Indrek Saar (Estonia) and Didier Reynders (Belgium), received 85 and 46 votes respectively.

Recall that Alain Berset was a member of the Swiss government from 2012 to 2023, during which he served twice as President of the Confederation, in 2018 and 2023. As Minister, Berset headed the Federal Ministry of the Interior. Before joining the government, he was a member of the Swiss Federal Parliament from 2003 to 2011 and chaired the Council of Cantons, the Upper House of the Parliament, from 2008 to 2009.

Note that Berce will succeed Croatian Marija Pejcinovic-Buric as Secretary General.