Former Swiss president elected Council of Europe chief

Former Swiss President Alain Berset was elected Secretary General of the Council of Europe Tuesday, the parliamentary arm of the continent's human rights organisation said on social media.

The 52-year-old will take office on 18 September, succeeding the Croatian Marija Pejcinovic Buric -- whose term was marked by the exclusion of Russia following the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

"Congratulations to Alain Berset, who has just been elected as Secretary General of the Council of Europe for a five-year term," the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), whose members elected Berset in the second round, said.

European Union justice commissioner Didier Reynders of Belgium and former Estonian culture minister Indrek Saar were also candidates for the position.

Berset was one of Switzerland's most popular politicians when he took everyone by surprise and announced his retirement from the Federal Council at the end of 2023.

Founded in Strasbourg in 1949, the Council of Europe brings together 46 countries since the exclusion of Russia, and aims to uphold democracy and the rule of law.