Walter Schwimmer

After being a member of the Austrian Parliament (National Council) for 28 years, serving as chairperson of several committees (Justice, Health, Housing and Construction) and deputy leader of his political group (ÖVP – Austrian People's Party), Schwimmer was elected Secretary General of the Council of Europe. He held this post from 1 September 1999 until 31 August 2004. At the beginning of his term, The Economist accused him of being a "timid moral policeman" over his treatment of the Chechen–Russian conflict. He resigned from this position in January 2013. Schwimmer died on 12 March 2025, at the age of 82. ==Political views==

In a 2015 with Russia Direct Schwimmer emphasized that the Euromaidan "was originally a civil society movement against corruption and had nothing to do with pro-European or anti-Russian choice. However, it was seen by Russia as a coup d'état and by the EU as a kind of strategic decision of Ukraine to go not with Russia but with Europe, which Schwimmer dismissed as a "misinterpretation" and "nonsense." In the same interview he blames poor European communication for the Russian military getting "concerned about the possibility of losing the naval base in Sevastopol." Not giving Russia a guarantee to keep the naval base in Sevastopol was a mistake, according to Schwimmer: "now Russia and the EU are trapped. Russia will not retreat from Crimea and the EU cannot acknowledge its annexation, since it was against international law. And now Russia and the EU are trapped in this escalation of sanctions that are leading to nothing." ==Honours and awards==

National honours • : Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold with Sash for Services to the Republic of Austria (2005) Foreign honours • : Chevalier of the French Legion of Honour • : Order of the Aztec Eagle (Águila Azteca) • : Grand Cross of the Order of the Star of Romania ==Bibliography==