Verabschiedung des Thüringer Bürgerbeauftragten Dr. Kurt Herzberg im Landtag

Am Donnerstag (20. November) wurde der Thüringer Bürgerbeauftragte Dr. Kurt Herzberg mit einer Veranstaltung im Thüringer Landtag verabschiedet. Nach zwei Amtszeiten mit zwölf Jahren ist eine erneute Wiederwahl nicht möglich. Landtagspräsident Dr. Thadäus König und Ministerpräsident Mario Voigt eröffnten die Veranstaltung mit Grußworten. Dr. Herzberg gab unter der Überschrift „Zwischen Zumutung und Zuversicht“ einen Ausblick auf Tätigkeit und diskutierten beim anschließenden Podium mit Ministerpräsidenten Voigt und der Landrätin des Kyffhäuserkreises, Antje Hochwind-Schneider, über „Staatliche Verwaltung im Umbruch“. 

Landtagspräsident Dr. Thadäus König: „Die Tätigkeit des Bürgerbeauftragten verlangt Geduld, ein tiefes Verständnis für Verwaltungsprozesse, aber vor allem einen echten Sinn für Gerechtigkeit und Menschlichkeit. All das hat Dr. Kurt Herzberg hervorragend verkörpert. Er hat in unzähligen Konflikten erfolgreich zwischen Behörden und Bürgerinnen und Bürgern vermittelt. Es ist auch sein Verdienst, wenn dadurch das Vertrauen in die Verwaltung und das Vertrauen in die eigene Handlungsfähigkeit wiederhergestellt wurden – und damit das Vertrauen in die Demokratie. Ich danke Dr. Herzberg für zwölf Jahre Dienst an Bürgerinnen und Bürgern und wünsche ihm für die Zukunft alles Gute.“

The Public Defender's Office of Georgia examined applications of 5 individuals employed at the former Research Center of the Parliament of Georgia, who explained that the director of the center did not give them, unlike other employees, a monetary reward due to their different views. The applicants also indicated that they were harassed by the director of the center.

In particular, the applicants signed a statement of persons employed in the public sector, which expressed support for the European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations enshrined in Article 78 of the Constitution of Georgia and condemned the violent repression of peaceful protests of Georgian citizens. The applicants spoke about this issue and the problems existing in the workplace in the media as well.

The respondent denied the facts of discriminatory treatment and noted that the use of the incentive mechanism constitutes discretionary power, and the reference to the violation of non-existent rights by employees was devoid of both reasonableness and legal basis.

The Public Defender's Office assessed, based on national and international standards, whether the director of the center, when making a decision on the issue of granting a monetary reward, acted in compliance with fundamental principles such as legality, equality, non-discrimination and lawful exercise of discretionary powers.

In the present case, the respondent failed to present sufficient arguments to refute the assumption raised by the applicants, and the case materials showed that other employees were granted a monetary reward, while no legally weighty arguments were named to justify its non-reception by the applicants.

The Public Defender emphasized that since the center provided financial incentives to employees who, in the director’s opinion, performed their functions in an exemplary manner, the same approach should have been extended to all employees who performed the work to the stated standard.

As for the harassment of the applicants, due to the lack of evidence, the Public Defender was unable to establish the fact of harassment against the applicants, since the behaviors revealed in this process were not of such severity and systematicity to create a legal basis for establishing harassment.

On 20 and 21 November 2025, the Deputy Ombudsman, Dr Dijana Možina Zupanc, attended the European Network of Ombudsmen (ENO) conference, which was hosted by the European Ombudswoman, Teresa Anjinho. The conference featured discussions on eight topics, ranging from monitoring the implementation of European Union law, to the impact of regulatory simplification on the work of ombudsmen, and the challenges associated with supervising the activities of semi-private institutions. Given the many challenges currently facing ombudsmen and national human rights institutions across Europe, the conference also offered a valuable opportunity to promote closer collaboration between these institutions, facilitate the exchange of experiences, and collectively address issues that will require even more attention from human rights defenders in the future.

Dr Možina Zupanc participated actively in the conference, acting as rapporteur for the workshop entitled 'Sharing ombudsmen's experiences in dealing with environmental complaints', which was moderated by Dr Joseph Zammit McKeon, the Maltese ombudsman. Representatives from the European Commission also participated, including Stephanos Ampatzis (Directorate-General for the Environment) and Lucile Le Breton (Directorate-General for Justice).

Participants emphasised the importance of ombudsmen in safeguarding the right to a healthy living environment. This is particularly pertinent in cases involving complaints relating to environmental impact assessment procedures, spatial planning, access to environmental information and the implementation of the Aarhus Convention.

As rapporteur, Dr Možina Zupanc summarised the key findings and drew attention to environmental complaints submitted to ombudsman institutions relating to health, dignity, safety and intergenerational justice. She pointed out that Slovenia and other European countries face very similar challenges, including excessively long and ineffective inspection procedures, limited access to environmental information, formalistic environmental assessments that often lack a connection to reality, intense pressure on natural resources and an increasingly frequent occurrence of greenwashing.

She emphasised that key challenges to the environment — and thus to human rights — include industrial plants operating for decades without adapting to modern environmental standards and insufficiently ambitious climate policies. She called for closer collaboration within the European Network of Ombudsmen, since environmental issues are cross-border and no single country can address them alone. She proposed that the Network should strengthen the exchange of good practices, identify systemic shortcomings and conduct parallel investigations that could contribute to greater accountability on the part of countries and institutions. “No European citizen should have their right to a healthy environment violated simply because there is a national border between them and the problem,” she stressed. She said that human rights defenders must act as the voice of the most vulnerable, drawing attention to systemic shortcomings to ensure that countries not only act lawfully, but also that they act responsibly towards future generations. She added, “Behind every polluted river, every delay and every ignored complaint, there is someone who pays the price. The greatest cost of inaction is not financial — it is human,” said Dr Dijana Možina Zupanc.

During the conference, she had the opportunity to speak with several colleagues from related institutions, including the European Ombudswoman, Teresa Anjinho. They discussed the shared challenges of environmental protection and the strengthening of the right to a healthy living environment. Dr Možina Zupanc emphasised that the environmental crisis is also a significant human rights issue. “Climate change is one of the greatest threats to human rights in the modern world. Rising temperatures, floods and droughts are already endangering the health, safety and dignity of many people. These pressures are also causing migration — by 2050, up to 216 million people could be displaced — and vulnerable groups are particularly exposed. Recent rulings by the European Court of Human Rights and the International Court of Justice confirm that inadequate environmental protection by states constitutes a human rights violation. This places a responsibility on human rights institutions to protect these rights.”

Against this backdrop, the Deputy Ombudsman drew attention to the proceedings at the 30th Climate Change Conference in Amazonia, Brazil, where nations are negotiating strategies to mitigate air pollution and curb global warming. “While world leaders have been making empty promises about limiting emissions and preserving biodiversity for three decades, tropical forests continue to shrink, the atmosphere continues to warm, and climate disasters are becoming an everyday occurrence for many people, including those in Slovenia. The time for procrastination is over.”

"Protecting the environment is no longer a choice, but a moral duty to future generations, as well as to those who are already experiencing the consequences today. We cannot wait for theory to become practice — we must start now, each of us individually,” says Dr Dijana Možina Zupanc.

She therefore believes that it is essential for human rights defenders and other institutions to highlight the state's shortcomings, raise awareness of the right to a healthy environment, and promote ambitious and fair environmental policies. Dr Dijana Možina Zupanc, the Deputy Human Rights Ombudsman, says that protecting human rights means protecting the very conditions of life.

Im Vorfeld zum Internationalen Tag gegen Gewalt an Frauen und Mädchen betont Volksanwältin Gaby Schwarz: "Wir brauchen mehr Zivilcourage und mehr Feminismus!"

„Wenn Sie merken, dass Frauen und Kinder physischer oder psychischer Gewalt ausgesetzt sind – würden Sie handeln? Würden Sie den Betroffenen Hilfe anbieten oder den Täter konfrontieren? Meist lautet die Antwort: ‚Geht mich nichts an.‘ Ich finde: Häusliche Gewalt ist keine Privatsache. Was wir brauchen, ist mehr Zivilcourage und mehr Feminismus“, betont Volksanwältin Gaby Schwarz im Kurier-Gastkommentar im Vorfeld des Internationalen Tages gegen Gewalt an Frauen und Mädchen am 25. November.

„Frauenministerin Eva-Maria Holzleitner hat mit dem ‚Nationalen Aktionsplan gegen Gewalt an Frauen‘ den richtigen Weg eingeschlagen. Aber es reicht nicht, nur von der Politik Maßnahmen zu fordern. Wir alle müssen handeln und Zivilcourage beweisen. Die kann man lernen“, verweist die Volksanwältin etwa auf das Gewaltpräventionsprogramm „StOP – Stadtteile ohne Partnergewalt“. „Ob es die Autonomen Frauenhäuser sind, der Frauenring oder Gewaltschutzzentren – es gibt Unterstützung“, so Gaby Schwarz und appelliert, Opfern verstärkt Hilfe anzubieten.

„Die Volksanwaltschaft ist das Haus der Menschenrechte in Österreich. Als Volksanwältin betone ich immer wieder: Jede Frau hat das Recht auf ein Leben ohne Gewalt. Die Realität sieht anders aus: Im Jahr 2024 gab es bei uns 27 Femizide. Jede dritte Frau ist von körperlicher und/oder sexueller Gewalt betroffen. Mehr als jede vierte Frau erfährt sexuelle Belästigung am Arbeitsplatz, mehr als jede fünfte Frau Stalking. So lange Frauen und Mädchen sich auf dem Heimweg fürchten, so lange sexistische Äußerungen geduldet statt geächtet werden, so lange Femizide zu unserem Alltag gehören, so lange bei häuslicher Gewalt weggesehen wird – genauso lange brauchen wir Feminismus. Mutige Frauen und Männer, die die Täter in die Pflicht nehmen. Denn es sollte heißen: Bestärkt eure Töchter und erzieht eure Söhne“, hält Gaby Schwarz fest.

Um Frauen in allen Lebenslagen zu bestärken, hat Volksanwältin Gaby Schwarz die #mutfrauen Initiative gestartet. Auf Instagram (@gabyschwarz_official) und LinkedIn (Gaby Schwarz) postet sie regelmäßig Videos von Frauen die erzählen, wann sie schon mal mutig sein mussten. „Es geht um Ermutigung von Frauen für Frauen. Mehr als 50 #mutfrauen sind schon dabei, u.a. Doris Schmidauer, Frauenministerin Eva-Maria Holzleitner, Außenministerin Beate Meinl-Reisinger, Unternehmerinnen, Gewaltüberlebende und viele mehr. Ich freue mich auf weitere #mutfrauen, die sich mit einem Video an der Initiative beteiligen“, spricht Gaby Schwarz eine Einladung an alle Interessierten aus.

Diversi Difensori Civici delle Regioni e delle Province Autonome Italiane hanno partecipato alla Conferenza 2025 della European Network of Ombudsmen (ENO) che i è tenuta a Bruxelles nei giorni 20-21 novembre 2025 all’interno del Parlamento Europeo, quale principale appuntamento annuale che riunisce gli Ombudsman nazionali, regionali e locali di tutta Europa, insieme alle istituzioni dell’Unione Europea, alla società civile e ai rappresentanti accademici.

A rappresentare l’Italia oltre a Marino Fardelli, Difensore civico della Regione Lazio e Presidente del Coordinamento Nazionale dei Difensori Civici italiani, anche altri colleghi Veronika Meyer, Difensora civica della Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano; Guido Giusti, Vicepresidente del Coordinamento nazionale dei Difensori civici italiani e Difensore civico della Regione Emilia-Romagna; Umberto Di Primio, Difensore civico della Regione Abruzzo; Fabrizio Schettini, Difensore civico della Regione Umbria; Marco Enrico, Difensore civico della Regione Sardegna; Adele Squillaci, Difensora civica della Regione Valle d’Aosta, che hanno preso parte ai lavori ospitati nella sede del Parlamento Europeo a Bruxelles.

Costruttiva anche l’interazione avviata con la Mediatrice Europea Teresa Anjinho. 

Una rete multilivello sempre più solida

La Conferenza ENO 2025 ha confermato la crescente importanza di una collaborazione strutturata tra i sistemi di difesa civica europei.
In un contesto istituzionale complesso, caratterizzato da un intreccio di competenze nazionali, regionali e sovranazionali, la cooperazione tra Ombudsman rappresenta una garanzia essenziale per:

• rafforzare la tutela dei cittadini;
• assicurare trasparenza e responsabilità amministrativa;
• promuovere standard condivisi di buona amministrazione;
• affrontare in modo coordinato le nuove sfide digitali, sociali e democratiche.

Come ha sottolineato Marino Fardelli nel suo intervento:

“La giornata di oggi ha rafforzato ancora di più questa rete multilivello: perché più cooperazione significa migliori tutele, più trasparenza e un’amministrazione pubblica più responsabile. La difesa civica è oggi un ponte essenziale tra cittadini e istituzioni, e la sua dimensione europea è diventata imprescindibile.”

Scambio di buone pratiche e diritti dei cittadini al centro

La Conferenza ha permesso un confronto approfondito sulle principali pratiche europee in materia di tutela dei diritti.
Sono stati analizzati casi riguardanti:

• accesso alle informazioni pubbliche,
• semplificazione amministrativa,
• diritti delle persone fragili,
• protezione dei dati e digitalizzazione dei servizi,
• tutela dei minori,
• partecipazione democratica.

La prospettiva comparata, resa possibile dalla presenza di Ombudsman provenienti da tutta Europa, è stata valorizzata come leva per innovare le prassi italiane e, allo stesso tempo, condividere l’esperienza dei Difensori civici regionali e locali del nostro Paese.

Il ruolo dell’Italia nella rete europea della difesa civica

L’evento è stato anche l’occasione per rinnovare e consolidare relazioni avviate nel corso dell’ultimo anno.
Particolarmente significativa è stata la possibilità, per il Presidente Fardelli, di incontrare nuovamente i colleghi Ombudsman che lo hanno eletto nel board europeo della difesa civica internazionale, riconoscendo il valore dell’esperienza italiana e la credibilità del Coordinamento nazionale nel panorama internazionale.

“È stato davvero piacevole rivedere i colleghi che un anno fa mi hanno dato fiducia eleggendomi nel board europeo della difesa civica. Questo incarico è una grande responsabilità, ma anche un’opportunità per portare la voce dei cittadini italiani sempre più al centro delle politiche europee.”
— Marino Fardelli

Verso una difesa civica sempre più europea

La partecipazione alla Conferenza ENO 2025 rappresenta un passo avanti importante nel percorso del Coordinamento Nazionale, che continua a promuovere:

• una cultura della tutela basata sull’indipendenza e sull’imparzialità;
• una maggiore conoscenza del ruolo dei Difensori civici tra i cittadini;
• progetti di cooperazione internazionale;
• un dialogo costante con le istituzioni europee e nazionali.

Il Coordinamento conferma il proprio impegno a contribuire alla costruzione di un’Europa più giusta, più trasparente e più vicina ai bisogni delle persone.