Strasbourg, 11 October 2011

Regarding the sentence handed down to Mrs Yulia Tymoshenko : The use of political justice must be condemned by the whole international community.

>> Press release


Strasbourg, 12 July 2011

Luca VOLONTÈ today welcomed the election of Mr José MENDES BOTA as President of the Permanent Committee on Ethics, Citizenship and Media of the Portuguese Parliament.

Mendes Bota, a parliamentarian in both the Portuguese and European Parliaments for nearly 20 years, is President of the Parliamentary Assembly Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men.

Mr Volontè declared the election of one of the Assembly’s hardest working members as well deserved. Mr Mendes Bota who has spent much of the last two and a half year working as a member of the Ad Hoc Committee on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (CAHVIO).

On 7 April 2011, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe adopted of a landmark new Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence which is the first legally binding instrument in the world creating a comprehensive legal framework to prevent violence, to protect victims and to end with the impunity of perpetrators. It defines and criminalises various forms of violence against women (including forced marriage, female genital mutilation, stalking, physical and psychological violence and sexual violence).
It also foresees the establishment of an international group of independent experts to monitor its implementation at national level. The Convention was opened for signature in Istanbul on 11 May 2011 and was signed by 13 countries.

>> Website of the Ad Hoc Commission
>> Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence
>> Website of M. Mendes Bota


Strasbourg, 4 July 2011

EPP/CD Group President Luca VOLONTÈ today added his voice to that of many others across the continent to express his sadness on the passing of Mr Otto von Habsburg. Mr Volontè described Mr von Habsburg as “a man who has spanned the generations as he has the continent”.


Strasbourg, 30 June 2011

EPP/CD Group President Luca VOLONTÈ warmly congratulated Assembly member Mrs Claude GREFF who was yesterday named Minister for State at the Ministry of Solidarity and Social Cohesion, with special responsibility for the Family in a French government reshuffle following the departure of Mrs Christine Lagarde to the International Monetary Fund.

Mrs Greff, a member of the Social, Health and Family Affairs Committee since 2005, has been an active member of the EPP/CD Group. Mr Volontè congratulated her on “a well earned promotion to a vitally important ministry at a very difficult time”.

>> Composition of the government
>> Website of Mrs Claude Greff


Portugal, June 2011 : M Volontè support PSD brother party in Portugal

>> PSD’s newspaper POVO LIVRE (p.20)


Hungary, May 2011 : Article from M Volontè for the Hungarian press

>> Hungarian version
>> English version