Council of Europe leader resumes duties following brief hospitalization

Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, is set to return to his official duties after a brief hospitalization last week, the organization’s press service announced.

Berset, who was admitted to hospital overnight on August 30, has since been discharged and is expected to participate in the upcoming meeting of the Committee of Ministers at the level of Ministers' Deputies, scheduled for September 3, in Strasbourg, Caliber.Az reports.

While the nature of his medical condition was not disclosed, the Council of Europe clarified that the hospitalization was “precautionary” and “not a cause for serious concern.”

As a result of his brief illness, Berset’s planned attendance at the Bled Strategic Forum in Slovenia was cancelled. His return to the organization’s leadership comes as the Council navigates a busy autumn agenda amid ongoing political and human rights challenges across Europe.

Alain Berset was elected Secretary General of the Council of Europe in June 2024. The former Swiss president is the first Swiss to hold this position. In 2023, Berset announced his retirement from the seven-member federal government after twelve years.

The press service of the Council of Europe did not give details of the reasons for Berset’s hospitalisation nor did it say whether he had returned to Switzerland. For its part, the Federal Chancellery does not disclose private information about former government ministers.

By Vafa Guliyeva