Amidst a heated election campaign in Poland, observers have witnessed a ground-breaking and unprecedented event—an open letter from representatives of nine countries addressed to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), calling for a “new interpretation” of the 1950 Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. This document remains one of the most significant instruments of international law shaping the human rights protection system across the member states of the Council of Europe. The letter—initiated by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen—was not merely a symbolic or political gesture. Rather, it signaled a profound paradigm shift in the perception of “human rights” within a Europe currently grappling with a deep identity crisis.
„Trybunał w Strasburgu nie będzie nam pluł w twarz!”
The open letter, signed by the prime ministers of Austria, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Belgium, Estonia, and the Czech Republic—alongside Denmark and Italy—was reported by Politico website on May 22. Germany’s Deutsche Welle emphasized that the letter constituted a de facto political act, undertaken in the presence of representatives from various political parties, and quoted Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset as warning that such public declarations could amount to unacceptable political pressure on the ECHR. What motivated representatives of multiple governments to take such a radical step, effectively challenging the accuracy and legitimacy of the rulings of the Council of Europe’s judicial body?
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Source of cover photo: Adobe Stock
