Earlier in the day, Pedro Agramunt, a Spanish lawmaker and the chairman of the European People's Party at the Council of Europe (EPP-CD) Group, was elected to be the next PACE president.
"Here in Europe we are faced with four interrelated challenges which create a state of constant upheaval for us. First I would mention international terrorism, which constitutes a fundamental and multifaceted danger," Agramunt said in his first speech as president.
The second challenge is the refugee crisis "which has triggered much debate about European values and identity," the PACE president noted.
"The refugee crisis is a test of Europe's ability to reach a consensus. If demagogic and intolerant discourse is allowed to prevail over the concept of Europe as a community of states committed to human rights and to the rule of law, that concept will begin to crack," he said.
Agramunt added that upholding European values was not an abstract subject and stressed that disintegrated Europe not sharing common values would not be a major global player.
"The situation in Ukraine remains very delicate, the conflict has already claimed the lives of over 9000 [people]… The recent crisis between Turkey and Russia cannot but raise concerns," he continued.
"Lastly I would like to mention the wave of populism — left wing populism and right wing populism, rising nationalism, and the erosion of democratic principles and human rights in some places, which affect our coexistence and capacity for joint action," Agramunt said.
According to the official, these challenges interact and exacerbate each other.
"These are the questions which dominate our agenda at the beginning of this year, which have grown more urgent and which threaten to undo decades of progress towards greater union, more open borders and closer integration," he said.
Agramunt was the only candidate for the position. He replaces Luxembourg lawmaker Anne Brasseur who served as president for two years.
