"Today, more than ever, in the current geopolitical situation, the values behind the creation of Europe's oldest organisation, conceived as a peaceful response to man's mistakes, must remain our reference points"
About this Quote
The key move is the phrase "Europe's oldest organisation". He’s almost certainly gesturing toward the Council of Europe (founded in 1949), whose brand is human rights, rule of law, and democratic standards. Naming it as "oldest" is strategic. It frames these values as durable infrastructure, not a fashionable moral pose that can be traded away when energy prices spike or borders harden. Age becomes authority.
"Conceived as a peaceful response to man's mistakes" is a carefully sanitized way of invoking Europe’s catastrophic 20th century without reopening the ledger of blame. "Mistakes" stands in for war, genocide, authoritarianism - the kind of history that makes sovereignty sound less like pride and more like a warning label. That soft language is the point: it invites broad agreement while still reminding listeners what happens when politics is untethered from norms.
The subtext is defensive and contemporary: in a "current geopolitical situation" (read: Russia’s war on Ukraine, democratic backsliding, pressure on international law), Espot is arguing that Europe’s reference points can’t be renegotiated as mere talking points. For a microstate, values-based multilateralism isn’t lofty; it’s survival.
Quote Details
| Topic | Peace |
|---|---|
| Source | Speech to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), official verbatim record, 8 April 2025. |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Zamora, Xavier Espot. (2026, February 15). Today, more than ever, in the current geopolitical situation, the values behind the creation of Europe's oldest organisation, conceived as a peaceful response to man's mistakes, must remain our reference points. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/today-more-than-ever-in-the-current-geopolitical-185368/
Chicago Style
Zamora, Xavier Espot. "Today, more than ever, in the current geopolitical situation, the values behind the creation of Europe's oldest organisation, conceived as a peaceful response to man's mistakes, must remain our reference points." FixQuotes. February 15, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/today-more-than-ever-in-the-current-geopolitical-185368/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Today, more than ever, in the current geopolitical situation, the values behind the creation of Europe's oldest organisation, conceived as a peaceful response to man's mistakes, must remain our reference points." FixQuotes, 15 Feb. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/today-more-than-ever-in-the-current-geopolitical-185368/. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.






