On 30 March 2026 the President of the Court, Mattias Guyomar, travelled to Bern, Switzerland, where he held a series of meetings with representatives from the legislative, executive and judicial authorities. He was accompanied by the judge elected in respect of Switzerland, Andreas Zünd.

During his exchange of views with the members of the Legal Affairs Committees of the Federal Assembly and the Swiss delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the President emphasised the importance of the shared responsibility between national authorities and the Court in ensuring the proper functioning of the Convention system. 

He observed that Switzerland has continuously, in every respect, contributed actively to the Convention system.

He also referred to the Court’s subsidiary supervision, which operates in the context of the separation of powers, “a separation that is based on a balance and complementarity between powers”.

“We need strong institutions at every level, working in complementarity with each other,” he said.

The President concluded his speech with the following words: “It is by taking care not to overstep the bounds of its judicial role that the Court can best fulfil its function, being both fully autonomous in interpreting the Convention as it stands and mindful of the context in which it intervenes.”
During his visit to Bern, the President of the Court also held separate meetings with the President of the Council of States, Stefan Engler, the President of the National Council, Pierre André Page, and the President of the Federal Supreme Court, François Chaix. 

The day concluded with an extended exchange with Federal Councillor Beat Jans, Head of the Federal Department of Justice and Police.

• Speech by President Mattias Guyomar (in French only)
• Country profile: Switzerland