One step before his election as president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe is the MP and former minister of the New Democracy Theodoros Roussopoulos.

In today’s vote among the members of the European People’s Party, in which MPs from the 46 member countries of the Council participated, Theodoros Roussopoulos got a percentage 73% being upvoted as the next candidate for President of the Parliament of the Council of Europe.

The final decision will be made on January 22 at the Parliament session in Strasbourg, where his election is expected to be confirmed as most of the opposition parties have already expressed their support for Theodoros Roussopoulos.

It is a great victory for our country as Theodoros Roussopoulos will be the first politician from Greece to occupy the position of president of the oldest and most important European organization for human rights which was founded 75 years ago by great leaders of Europe such as Winston Churchill, Konrad Adenauer, Paul Reynaud, Maurice Schumann, Altiero Spinelli, Raymond Aron, Anthony Eden and Francois Mitterrand.

“I consider the weight of the great price. Democracy and human rights in times when everything is tested are our only refuge. I feel the responsibility. I thank my fellow MPs in New Democracy and the European People’s Party, especially Dora Bakoyannis, head of the Greek delegation to the Council of Europe, and I thank Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis for his support in this effort,” said Mr. Roussopoulos.