Led by Berna Coma, Andorran MPs highlighted youth councils and school initiatives in Strasbourg debates on

An Andorran parliamentary delegation, led by Berna Coma, participated in the winter plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in Strasbourg this week, concluding on Friday. The group promoted Andorra's youth engagement initiatives during debates on democracy, education, inclusion, and social challenges.

Berna Coma, president of the delegation, intervened on the third day in discussions about strengthening democracy through youth involvement. She highlighted local efforts such as the Children's Councils in Andorra's seven communes and the Youth Council tied to the Consell General, which targets secondary school students to build democratic habits early on.

Meritxell Alcobé spoke in a related debate on enhancing socialisation, inclusion, and democratic values in schools, describing them as the initial setting for children to experience community life and core coexistence principles. She cited Andorra's three coexisting public education systems as a reflection of its cultural and linguistic diversity.

Susanna Vela was scheduled to address the same debate but could not deliver her oral statement due to time limits. Her written submission, included in the official record, emphasised schools' key role in democratic culture via four pillars: coexistence, wellbeing, inclusion, and democratic values.

Cerni Escalé joined a working group under the Committee on Social Affairs, Health, and Sustainable Development. It focused on purchasing power and housing access amid rising living costs, inflation's impact on households, and increasing obstacles to affordable homes, with goals to draft resolutions bolstering social cohesion and living standards across Europe.

A highlight was the election of Petra Bayr, an Austrian MP, as PACE's 36th president and fifth woman in the position, replacing Theodoros Rousopoulos. The session included four urgent debates—on reforming the PACE presidency election process, threats to the international order with focus on Greenland, the European Social Charter anniversary, and the Middle East political crisis—along with two current affairs debates, including one on safeguarding the international justice system that underscored concerns over weakening international law.