During its 5th Plenary meeting on 9 June 2026, the Steering Committee on Democracy (CDDEM) held an exchange with the Council of Europe Secretary General on the process towards the New Democratic Pact for Europe and the committee's contribution to the Pact.
"Democracy is the alpha and omega of the European way of life," stated the Secretary General in his opening remarks. He also underlined the importance of democratic security across the continent and cautioned against building military strength without equally strong democratic institutions capable of ensuring accountability and oversight. He encouraged the CDDEM to maintain a long-term foresight perspective and to contribute policy ideas and innovative approaches that can help sustain and strengthen the democratic foundations of member states.
CDDEM members reiterated their willingness to play an active role in the next steps of the Pact and highlighted the committee's key contribution through the Reykjavik Parameters. Following an exchange of views with the Secretary General, during which he shared his reflections on the challenges facing Europe and outlined key elements of the response required to address them, the committee members reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the strengthening of democratic resilience and democratic security across Europe.
