On 8^th of April 2022, Patrick Penninckx, Head of Information Society Department addressed a group of Flemish lawyers visiting the Council of Europe. In his presentation entitled: “European Journey 1989-2022 - a geopolitical history” the speaker described in detail the changing role of the organisation in response to the evolving political environment. The year 1989 witnessed the end of the Cold War and the birth of the Common European Home idea, where the Council of Europe assumed a new role of spreading the values of human rights and democracy to the whole of the continent. The new mandate was given by the Vienna 1993 summit of heads of states and governments presided by the Secretary General Catherine Lalumière – this new mandate of inclusion saw the organisation welcoming new member States, to reach 47 in 2007 with the accession of Montenegro. The new mandate required new instruments and the October 1997 Conference of heads of state in Strasbourg ascertained the new monitoring and cooperation mechanisms which were gradually added to the original standard-setting mission. The growth of the organisation culminated with the in Warsaw May 2005 Third Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe which adopted a political declaration and an Action Plan laying down the principal tasks of the Council of Europe in the coming years focusing on Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law. In the last decade the organisation witnessed a number of dramatic evolutions reflecting the growing challenges to the rule of law and democracy on the continent, culminating with the exclusion of the Russian Federation from the Council of Europe in March 2022. “Quo vadis, Europe” is the concluding question of the presentation and a large political and geopolitical debate we are witnessing and are taking part in. The Council of Europe acquis: the 225 treaties along with over 800 recommendation and 8000 resolutions pave the way for hope and resilience.