Europe’s commitment to human rights, democracy, and the rule of law is not a weakness. It is our greatest strategic strength.

Yet, tectonic geopolitical shifts are challenging this reality. Increasingly, nations are retreating into narrow self-interest, discarding international law. Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is a direct assault on the values Europe is built upon. What is more, disturbingly, long-standing allies now seek to undermine us.

The recent US national security strategy paints a bleak picture. Echoing criticisms initiated by Vice President J.D. Vance in Munich, it portrays Europe as a continent in "civilisational decline." It pushes back at our efforts to protect human well-being through regulation and signals support for far-right actors who erode social cohesion, democracy and the rule of law.

I reject the United States’ analysis. Even where we fall short, Europe’s civilisational model—grounded firmly in human rights—is something to be proud of.

Born from the ashes of the second world war —and codified in the Universal Declaration and the European Convention on Human Rights— this model has anchored our societies for 80 years. It is not just a moral compass; it produces tangible resilience. Human rights foster the mutual trust necessary for long-term security—something fear-driven politics can never sustain.

For the alternative, we need only look to what is happening on Europe’s eastern borders. There is a direct line between Russia’s internal abandonment of human rights and democratic principles and its external military onslaught.

Conversely, human rights provide the roadmap for navigating the challenges of migration, climate change, pollution and loss of biodiversity, inequalities, and technological disruption. 

Europe is stronger when it defends free speech grounded in human rights law. A freedom of expression that is distinct from extreme hate speech. We are stronger when we regulate AI to prevent discrimination and abuses, building trust in innovation rather than fuelling fear. We are stronger when we refuse to let the will of the majority slide into tyranny against minorities.

In the face of the startling US forecast of our decline, European leaders need to place human rights at the heart of Europe’s strategic repositioning. This requires action in three areas.

First, consistency. We must reinforce human rights in both foreign and domestic policy. Europe’s long-standing commitment to human rights has provided us with considerable soft power, but to unlock its full potential, we must do better at home. Silence and double standards undermine our credibility. This is not about moral posturing, but about genuinely stepping up funding for international human rights programs and active diplomacy, while simultaneously investing more strongly in domestic policies addressing poverty, inequality and declining health services. A robust domestic rights agenda, focused on concrete delivery, is the only effective counterpoint to the narrative of decline.

Second, fortification. We must “future-proof” the democratic institutions that protect us. In this volatile era, illiberal actors will inevitably continue to come to power. Their first targets always include the judiciary, national human rights institutions, the civil service, academia and the media. They seek to redraw the electoral system. Governments should conduct an urgent "health check" of their legal safeguards. Because once institutional vandalisation succeeds, the damage is difficult to reverse.

Third, courage. We need leaders to speak up for our values. This is a battle of narratives. Mainstream politicians who attempt to court voters by imitating the language of those who seek to undermine our rights and democratic norms are destined to fail; voters will always prefer the original to the copy.

If we lack the courage to assert our norms, we concede the struggle. The "civilisational decline" predicted by our critics will not come from sticking to our values and principles, but from abandoning them. Europe’s power lies not in mimicking the authoritarians or those who oppose human rights, but in showing that dignity, law, and freedom remain the only foundations on which a stable and prosperous future can be built.

-Michael O'Flaherty

Forced return monitoring is an important safeguard to protect the fundamental rights of migrants who are being returned to their countries of origin. The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) issues an annual overview of national forced return monitoring systems and their monitoring statistics across the EU. The latest overview reveals gaps in monitoring that need addressing.

The EU’s return directive raised awareness of fundamental rights by introducing a safeguard which is the monitoring of returns. Since 2014, EU countries abide by common standards and practices protecting migrants’ rights in return procedures.

Ten years on, FRA’s latest annual update presents a concerning picture in 2024:

• return operations have steadily increased across the EU, but national monitoring has decreased;
• five EU countries did not implement monitoring of forced return operations;
• in eight EU countries, the number of monitoring operations dropped compared to 2023;
• in some EU countries, fewer than 10 return operations were monitored.

The update also points to a lack of resources and gaps in the financing of the monitoring mechanisms, undermining their sustainability.

For an overview of the monitoring carried out by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) pool of forced return monitors, see the Frontex Fundamental Rights Officer’s 2024 report.

a Difensora civica è intervenuta presso l’Istituto di Diritto italiano dell’Università di Innsbruck, nell’ambito del ciclo di incontri dedicato a questioni giuridiche relative all’autonomia altoatesina, con la relazione “Dalla Difesa civica agli organismi di garanzia: sviluppi per una buona amministrazione”.

Su invito della prof.ssa universitaria Esther Happacher dell’Istituto di Diritto Italiano dell’Università di Innsbruck, la Difensora civica dell’Alto Adige Veronika Meyer ha recentemente tenuto, davanti aun pubblico di studenti e studentesse, una relazione sul tema “Gli sviluppi più recenti per una buona amministrazione”, con focus sul ruolo della Difesa civica e degli organi di garanzia in provincia di Bolzano.
L’intervento rientrava nel ciclo “Questioni giuridiche attuali dell’autonomia altoatesina”, nell’ambito del corso di “Diritto costituzionale italiano II”, con approfondimento sul diritto dell’autonomia dell’Alto Adige. In tale contesto, Meyer ha illustrato, oltre ai principi costituzionali di una buona amministrazione, lo sviluppo della Difesa civica e delle sue competenze in Alto Adige: la Difesa civica opera da oltre 40 anni al servizio delle cittadine e dei cittadini per superare incomprensioni nell’amministrazione pubblica; negli ultimi anni, il Consiglio provinciale dell’Alto Adige ha istituito ulteriori organi di garanzia, come la Garante per l’infanzia e l’adolescenza e la Consigliera di parità, nonché il Centro di tutela contro le discriminazioni insediato presso la stessa Difesa civica.
Attualmente, nell’ambito delle proposte di riorganizzazione di tutti gli organismi di garanzia da parte del Consiglio provinciale dell’Alto Adige, si sta discutendo anche dell’istituzione di un Garante della Terza età, di un Garante dei detenuti e di un organismo di garanzia per le vittime di violenza sessuale e sessualizzata, la cui istituzione è prevista a breve termine, ha riferito Meyer. Proprio quest’ultimo tema ha suscitato grande interesse tra i numerosi studenti e studentesse  presenti alla relazione.
Nel corso del suo intervento, la Difensora civica Veronika Meyer ha inoltre sottolineato in particolare l’importanza di un lavoro di rete efficace e articolato per l’attività della Difesa civica: “A causa della crescente complessità delle istanze dei cittadini, per la Difesa civica è essenziale una collaborazione ben funzionante con l’amministrazione provinciale, i Comuni, le Comunità comprensoriali, l’Azienda sanitaria e le amministrazioni statali, nonché un intenso scambio di informazioni con colleghe e colleghi di altre regioni”, ha affermato Meyer.

El síndic de Greuges de la Comunitat Valenciana, Ángel Luna, ha recomendado al Ayuntamiento de Chóvar que revise y modifique la ordenanza reguladora de las tasas de la piscina municipal para garantizar un trato igualitario a todas las personas usuarias, con independencia de que estén o no empadronadas en el municipio.

La institución considera que establecer precios diferenciados por razón de empadronamiento vulnera el principio constitucional de igualdad y no resulta conforme a la jurisprudencia del Tribunal Supremo, que sólo admite diferencias tarifarias cuando existan razones objetivas, proporcionadas y debidamente justificadas, como criterios económicos, y siempre con respaldo normativo adecuado.

Además, el Síndic insta al Ayuntamiento a responder de manera clara y motivada a las reclamaciones presentadas por la ciudadanía, recordando que la falta de contestación vulnera el derecho a una buena administración y el deber legal de resolver en plazo los escritos presentados ante la Administración.

Estas recomendaciones se producen tras la tramitación de una queja presentada por un representante de los residentes del municipio, en la que se denunciaba tanto la aplicación de bonificaciones a favor de las personas empadronadas como la ausencia de respuesta municipal a una reclamación previa.

Durante la investigación, el Ayuntamiento no remitió la información solicitada por el Síndic ni respondió a los requerimientos efectuados. Ante esta situación, el Síndic ha dejado constancia de la falta de colaboración del consistorio y recuerda que las administraciones públicas están obligadas a colaborar con esta institución y a responder justificadamente sobre la aceptación o rechazo de sus recomendaciones.

Consulta el expediente de queja sobre este asunto:

• resolución de consideraciones.
• resolución de cierre.

El pleno del Parlamento Vasco ha designado a Mikel Mancisidor para ocupar el cargo de ararteko con los votos a favor del PNV, PSE-EE y PP.

Natural de Bilbao, Mikel Mancisidor es licenciado en Derecho por la Universidad de Deusto y doctor en Relaciones Internacionales por la Escuela de Diplomacia de Ginebra. Su trayectoria profesional ha estado ligada a la defensa de los derechos humanos y la gobernanza democrática y ha sido miembro de diversos grupos de trabajo y paneles internacionales de alto nivel. 

Fue director de coordinación en el Centro de Estudios para la Paz Gernika Gogoratuz y director del Centro UNESCO del País Vasco-UNESCO Etxea durante 10 años. En 2020 recibió el Premio Eusko Ikaskuntza de Humanidades, Cultura, Artes y Ciencias Sociales. 

Vitoria-Gasteiz, 18 de diciembre de 2025