Rising violence against politicians puts democracy at risk – Parliamentary Assembly

"Violence has no place in democracy," the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has said today, as parliamentarians warned that rising violence and hate speech against politicians pose a direct threat to democratic life and pluralism.

Debating the issue in plenary, the Assembly, adopting the resolution based on the report by Elisabetta Gardini (Italy, ECPA), stressed that attacks - whether physical, psychological, sexual or economic, online or offline - can have a "chilling effect on democratic participation", discouraging both elected representatives and those considering entering political life.

Parliamentarians underscored that such violence can compel politicians to "alter their behaviour, limit their participation in public events, or reduce their engagement with constituents", ultimately weakening pluralism, representativeness, and the quality of democratic processes. They also highlighted that women politicians and representatives of minority groups and young politicians and public officials are disproportionately targeted and require specific attention.

The Parliamentary Assembly declared that, in the framework of the New Democratic Pact for Europe, the Council of Europe could play a leading role in ensuring that violence against politicians is tackled at all levels. It therefore asked the Committee of Ministers to consider establishing a mechanism to identify and track specific threats or episodes of violence against politicians at the local, regional land national levels.

Furthermore, it called on states to adopt robust legislation recognising the various forms of violence against politicians as specific criminal offences, and to ensure that law enforcement and judicial authorities are equipped with adequate resources.

Finally, parliamentarians emphasised that politicians must lead by example and refrain from inflammatory or dehumanising rhetoric. The Parliamentary Assembly called on national parliaments and political parties to introduce clear codes of conduct, reinforcing a culture of respect and responsibility at the heart of democratic life.

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