“The Council of Europe is a living proof that institutions can protect and renew themselves – also in times of deep crisis. Between 2012 and 2018 the PACE was the laboratory for fake election observation of Europe. Azerbaijan and Russia have set up a corrupt network among PACE members who regularly participated in whitewashing falsified elections in both countries and later on the occupied Ukrainian Crimea. In 2017, the CoE went through its deepest crisis and only then started to investigate these cases legally and gave itself strict compliance and transparency rules as well as an updated Code of Conduct regulating the participation in election observation missions. Several member states have opened criminal investigations on corruption against members of the PACE from 2017 on.

Similar efforts by the Democracy and Election Group in the European Parliament and strong public coverage have led to the situation that the number of European Parliamentarians participating in Fake election observation worldwide has considerably decreased.

This demonstrates that internal reform and legal investigation combined are successful and can protect institutions from being undermined and captured.

Today we are in another phase. The Kremlin moved from the organisation of single whitewashing missions to the construction of a global shadow-world of fake election observation structures. These structures and institutions are at odds with any international good practise and standards. The objectives go far beyond the validation of Russia’s upcoming 2026 State Duma elections. The aim is to export a scalable model of “managed election observation”, to fundamentally challenge established democratic standards and to outplay human rights in favour of “national sovereignty” and “national interests”.

Last week in Moscow’s conference centre ROSSIJA, Russia’s Foreign Minister Lawrow and CEC Chair Ella Pamfilova opened the founding conference of the International Association of Independent Electoral Experts together with Mr. Rakotonarivo, Chairman of the National Election Commission of Madagascar. Mr. Rakotonarivo’s prominent role in the conference should raise all the alarm bells. It characterizes the increased interest of the Kremlin in establishing close contacts with Election Management Bodies – not only from the global South but also from CoE member states.

For two years, EPDE has observed a trend of the Kremlin and its anti-democratic allies worldwide to involve more and more staff and elected members of EMBs into these disinformation operations. Today we count already 35 entries of staff or elected members of EMBs participating in fake observation missions. All continents are affected. Unfortunately, also six CoE member states.

These efforts target the very integrity of elections worldwide. They endanger the credibility and impartiality of the affected Election Management Bodies and may lead to a crisis of trust in the countries involved.

• The affected Election Management Bodies and their State-oversight structures should take immediate action and install respective information – transparency and reporting systems.
• An improved Code of Conduct, clear transparency and compliance rules for staff and elected members may protect both European Election Management Bodies and their members from ending up in compromised situations or God beware – in our fake election observers’ database.
• International Associations of Election Management Bodies should bring this case on top of the agenda and take action as soon as possible.
• It is the responsibility of EMBs to protect their staff and elected members from being misguided or seduced by invitations to elections where their reputation is misused for the sake of propaganda and electoral disinformation.

The second remarkable group among the participants on the Moscow conference last week were at least four Chairpersons of international Ombudsmen offices. We can confirm the participation of South Africa, Senegal, Pakistan and the Democratic Republic of Kongo. Some of them signed a MoU with EU and US sanctioned Ombudsperson of the Russian Federation, Tatyana Moskalkova, who is sanctioned among others for abduction of Ukrainian children. This is dangerous. According to the Venice Commission, to the UN and other international institutions election observers are human rights defenders. The involvement of human rights ombudspersons in the fake election observation ecosystem is extremely alarming: It would deprive genuine and independent election observers the legal protection that they deserve and need in their countries. It undermines both trust in elections and in human rights.

This was a view on the dark side of the moon. But also an encouragement – and here I come back to the Council of Europe: Institutions are not helpless. The Council of Europe and the PACE have proven that they can defend themselves – If they set themselves to do so.

Next to prove that they are able to resist the corrupt temptation are Election Management Bodies and The International Human Rights Ombudsmen Institutions.”

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