Democratic Security after the Rupture

Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, on law, power, and Europe’s next order with opening remarks from Attorney General of England and Wales, Richard Hermer KC. 

The rules-based order is under strain like never before, and Europe must be ready for what comes next. Alain Berset will argue that Europe can no longer treat law, security, and democracy as separate worlds. If Europe wants to remain more than a market, a spectator or a battleground, it must move beyond managed decline, build democratic security, and give collective security a permanent political framework. The question is whether Europe can still shape the next order through law, or whether it will be left to survive in a world without rules.

The Attorney General Richard Hermer KC will be delivering opening remarks on how the rules-based order is in the UK's national, security, and economic interests.

The event is jointly organised by the Bonavero Institute of Human Rights and the Modern Slavery & Human Rights Policy & Evidence Centre at the University of Oxford. 

A drinks reception at the Bonavero Institute of Human Rights will follow the event, starting at 17:45.

Alain Berset, Secretary General of the Council of Europe

Alain Berset became Secretary General of the Council of Europe on 18 September 2024. 

Prior to that, Mr Berset was an elected Minister in the Swiss government (Federal Council) between 2012 and 2023. During that time, he headed the Federal Department of Home Affairs as Swiss Minister for Health, Social Affairs, Culture, Equality and Anti-Discrimination, and was Minister for Public Health throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. Mr Berset also served twice as President of the Swiss Confederation (2018 and 2023), during which he represented Switzerland on the United Nations Security Council and at the Council of Europe’s 4th Summit of Heads of State and Government, where he signed the Reykjavik Declaration on behalf of his country. 

Before joining the Federal Council, Mr Berset was a member of the Council of States, the upper house of the Swiss Parliament. He was elected as its youngest member in 2003 and went on to serve as its President, from 2008 to 2009. He was also Vice-Chair of the Socialist Group in the Federal Parliament, 2005-2011. 

Prior to elected politics, Mr Berset held academic roles in economics at the University of Neuchâtel and the Hamburg Institute of International Economics and worked as an independent communications and strategy consultant for associations, companies and non-governmental organisations. 

Alain Berset was born on 9 April 1972 in Fribourg (Switzerland). He has MSc in political science and a PhD in economics, both from the University of Neuchâtel. He is married with three children. 

The Rt Hon Lord Hermer KC, Attorney General for England and Wales

Richard Hermer KC is a British barrister, life peer, and the current Attorney General for England and Wales, a position he has held since July 2024 under Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Richard grew up in Cardiff and studied at the University of Manchester, ahead of being called to the bar in 1993. Starting his career in Wales, Richard soon moved to London and joined Doughty Street Chambers.  

Richard notably represented victims in the Grenfell Tower fire litigation, securing a major settlement in 2023. He has also challenged previous government decisions on asylum seekers and environmental and justice, including representing the family of Ella Kissi-Debrah, whose death was linked to air pollution. In 2019 he was appointed Deputy High Court Judge, and in July 2024 he became a Life Peer, joining the House of Lords.