Former Swiss president elected Council of Europe chief

The Council of Europe elected Switzerland's former president Alain Berset as its next secretary general, EU council said on Tuesday evening. The Strasbourg-based human rights organization’s 306-member parliament held a secret ballot in two rounds on Tuesday.

Berset won the second round with 114 votes in his favor on Tuesday afternoon. The Council of Europe has 46 member countries and includes the European Court of Human Rights. It is an independent body, separate from the European Union. Its secretary-general is elected for five years.