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Russia’s aggression extends far beyond Ukraine’s borders. It is spreading deeper in Europe, and we face it every day. It includes cyber attacks, disinformation, interference in elections, and sabotage of critical infrastructure. Europe must recognise these threats and develop regional solutions to prevent such incidents and to ensure our people feel safe. This was emphasised by Daiga Mieriņa, Speaker of the Saeima, addressing her colleagues at the European Conference of Presidents of Parliament on 20 March in the French city of Strasbourg.
We Europeans enjoy the privileges of democracy every day. It is a system of societal values based on free elections, human rights, and the freedom of speech. That is why in these turbulent times, upholding and defending democratic values is of vital importance. Speaker Mieriņa called on her colleagues to recognise that the enemies of democracy are the same forces that threaten our physical borders.
At this time, it is crucial to strengthen societal resilience through education, focusing particularly on young people who are the most active users of the digital space but also the most vulnerable, underlined Speaker Mieriņa, emphasising that stability and prosperity in Europe have led to radical political forces rising to power. Therefore we must respond to the enemies of democracy by countering manipulative systems, as well as through effective legal frameworks governing artificial intelligence, which require financial investments.
Daiga Mieriņa pointed out that a state, led by a criminal and imperialist dictator, is tearing apart democratic Ukraine, and it is therefore our duty to ensure accountability: “Russia and Putin must face justice. These crimes must be investigated. Otherwise, we risk undermining the principle of justice, lowering our moral standards, and eroding our value system.” Speaker Mieriņa also highlighted that, living on Europe's eastern border, we have felt the proximity of war for three years now, yet our people stand with the Ukrainian people in their thoughts and actions. Having experienced 50 years of Soviet occupation, we can identify with the Ukrainian people fighting for their freedom and independence in the 21st century.
The Speaker of the Saeima underlined that a just and lasting peace in Ukraine must be based on the protection of human rights, democracy, and the rule of law: “These principles must form the foundation for the peace negotiations in Ukraine. Peace in Ukraine must be built on conditions that are fully acceptable to the Ukrainian people.”
Speaker Mieriņa is visiting Strasbourg from 19 to 20 March to take part in the European Conference of Presidents of Parliament. The conference is dedicated to discussions on strengthening democracy, ensuring the freedom of speech during times of polarisation and uncertainty, as well as violence against politicians.
The conference is organised since 1975 by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), and it is regularly attended by speakers of the parliaments of the CoE member states, PACE observer and partner country parliaments, as well as international parliamentary assemblies and other regional parliaments. The event was attended by over 60 speakers or deputy speakers and around 400 delegates. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the first conference.
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Saeima Press Service