Mr Eirik Holmøyvik, Vice-President of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe and member in respect of Norway, participated in the World Forum for Democracy, which took place in Strasbourg on 2-3 November, devoted to “Rupture or renewal? Democratic security for the future”

Mr Holmøyvik intervened during a plenary session entitled “Putting Council of Europe insights to the test”. During his intervention, Mr Holmøyvik highlighted that “laws are our best guarantee to have a democratic society, governed by the Rule of Law with respect for human rights.” He also outlined the Venice Commission’s contribution to democratic foresight by preventing the adoption of legislation that contribute to democratic backsliding from a very early stage. Mr Holmøyvik referred to the Updated Rule of Law Checklist as a tool that supports the work of domestic and international stakeholders on how to assess and draft laws that respect international standards for democratic institutions and the Rule of Law, including in the context of the restoration of the Rule of Law.

The World Forum for Democracy 2026 marked the culmination of the New Democratic Pact for Europe’s consultation phase, placing emphasis on “democratic foresight”, that is, the ability of our democracies to anticipate the future in order to strengthen democratic security in Europe.