Berlin – ESI at Bundestag Conference on 75 Years of the European Convention on Human Rights

26 March 2026
Panel participants and observers. photo: ESI
Panel participants and observers. photo: ESI

ESI's Gerald Knaus played a leading role in the German Bundestag’s event “75 Years of the European Convention on Human Rights: A European Triumph in Jeopardy.” At the event, he both moderated the panel “The Battle for the Council of Europe” with Dutch politician Pieter Omtzigt and Ljudmyla Melnyk of the Deutsch-Ukrainische Gesellschaft and also gave an opening talk for the panel “The European Court of Human Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights”.

In both panels, Gerald noted how Europe is increasingly confronted with a world-order based no longer on rules, but rather on raw power. This, Gerald argues, present a deep danger to Europe. As war rages in the Middle East and powers including Russia and the US threaten European territory, Gerald noted that Europe must strongly adhere to and defend its human rights framework, based in its international courts and institutions such as the Council of Europe.

Gerald pointed out that this framework creates a pathway for justice for political oppression in Turkey, corruption in Azerbaijan, or even Russian war crimes in Ukraine. For this reason, Gerald argued that the Europe’s courts and rights frameworks must be strengthened, with clear red-lines and consequences put in place. Rule-of-law and solidarity have been the basis of Europe’s success over the past decades – Gerald concluded that in this turbulent geo-political era, rather than sink into nostalgia or pessimism, Europe must return to these strengths.