Jagland: – Major deficiencies in Europe’s democracy

Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland.Photo: Terje Bendiksby / NTB scanpix

Basic human rights and democracy are threatened in several European countries, warns Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland.

It’s not just wrong, it’s also dangerous, said Jagland on Wednesday, when he presented the European Council’s annual report.
He believes economic uncertainty, the threat of terrorism and the responses to the refugee crisis give rise to nationalism and xenophobia.
– Hate crimes, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia is on the rise. Confidence in the government and the European institutions is declining, concludes Jagland from the report.
In addition, he sees a trend in the introduction of new laws and regulations that violate international standards of treatment of refugees and migrants.
The European Council is also concerned, about the freedom of expression and working conditions of European journalists. According to the report, in almost half of the European Union member states, journalists’ safety has deteriorated over the past year.
The Council claims that in as many as 26 of the 47 member states, media diversity is not satisfactory. Russia, Ukraine and Turkey are highlighted as countries, where individuals who are violent against journalists, are often not prosecuted and punished.

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today