ASSEDEL
On the 5th of October 2026, the ASSEDEL team had the privilege to have a training session with Cesare Pinelli from the Venice Commission for Italy. The session started off with very brief introductions of the interns and it then moved on to the introduction, history, function and challenges of the Venice Commission.
Cesare Pinelli is Professor of Constitutional and Public Law at Sapienza University of Rome, in Italy, and currently serves as Italy’s Substitute Member of the Venice Commission.
From the fall of the Soviet Union to the democratic backsliding of both Poland and Hungary, the Venice Commission had a very significant consultative role. Despite the political climate, the Commission never ceased to work and has worked with countries which are not members of neither the EU or the Council of Europe, like Tunisia. If anything, according to Pinelli, the Commission had more work than ever during these troubled times; partially thanks to the ties it had built with other European Institutions. The Venice Commission is an organ of the Council of Europe, and sessions are held 4 times a year. In these plenaries, opinions are released to States and Governments and other organisations which might have an interest in requesting them. It is composed by 2 experts from each State member of the Venice Commission. Additionally, Pinelli added how even though Hungary and Poland are now on the path to restore the Rule of Law, caution and patience will be needed to prevent worsening a very delicate situation.
Then of course at the end of the presentation a round of questions was opened: given the current situation in Tunisia and the delicate situation in both Poland and Hungary, how can we reconcile national politics and law recommendations? How can the Venice Commission maintain impartiality and independence when drafting recommendations? Which organs other than States can request and advisory opinion and is everything actually left to a political process?
ASSEDEL thanks Cesare Pinelli for the time and availability to have a discussion with the team and we hope this collaboration will take place again in the future.