Georgia | ISFED: Abolishing the Possibility of Voting from Abroad in Parliamentary Elections Would Seriously Undermine the Principle of Universal Suffrage
Following a statement made by Shalva Papuashvili on 17 November, the Georgian Dream party plans to abolish the possibility of voting from abroad in parliamentary elections through amendments to the Election Code. EPDE member International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) issued a statement calling on the Georgian Dream-led parliament not to support the abolition of […]
Zero Day Attack – Public Screening & Discussion | Deutsch-Taiwanische Gesellschaft e.V
On Tuesday, 12 November, at the Zeiss-Großplanetarium, the panel discussion “Zero Day Attack – Public Screening & Discussion”, organised by the Deutsch-Taiwanische Gesellschaft e.V., offered an important conversation on how vulnerable democracies can be to foreign interference, disinformation, and efforts to erode public trust – challenges felt in Europe just as much as in East […]
FURIC 2025 | Concluding Document and Recommendations
Against the backdrop of intensifying digital interference and rising authoritarian influence, FURIC 2025 focused on measures to ensure transparency, accountability, and public trust in elections. Building on past recommendations, the conference set concrete priorities: enhancing collaboration among stakeholders, countering disinformation and foreign interference, and addressing emerging risks such as algorithmic manipulation and hybrid threats. With […]
WHDC Side Event: Citizen Observation under Pressure: Safeguarding the Space to Monitor Elections
On 7 October, at the 2025 Warsaw Human Dimension Conference, European Platform for Democratic Elections and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) hosted a side event on the challenges citizen election observers face in today’s fast-changing electoral landscape. Speakers shared key developments from across the region: Speakers Moderated by Zofia Lutkiewicz, […]
Moldova’s 2025 Parliamentary Elections: A Test of Democratic Resilience Under Hybrid Pressures
Moldova’s parliamentary elections on September 28, 2025, demonstrated both the country’s commitment to democratic standards and the serious challenges it faces from foreign interference coming from the Russian Federation and its local proxies. Despite all this, international observers assessed the vote as “competitive and offering voters a clear choice,” though they acknowledged it was “marred […]
Statement | On Credible Election Observation and Institutional Responsibility: EPDE’s Response to the CEC of Georgia
We have reviewed the press release published by the CEC of Georgia on 17 October 2025 in reaction to our statement “The Crisis of Credibility” on fake observers at the Georgian local elections. We appreciate the CEC’s engagement and welcome any opportunity to compare evidence and standards. EPDE’s work is based on the Declaration of […]
Statement | The Crisis of Credibility: Fake Observers at the October 4, 2025, Georgian Local Elections
The European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE) identified 29 fake observers who assisted the Georgian government in lending an appearance of legitimacy to the local elections on October 4, 2025. It is the second time that the Georgian ruling party, “Georgian Dream,” has invited politically biased observers to obscure irregularities flagged by credible observers in […]
Elections as a Double-Edged Sword – Strengthening Democracy or Enabling Autocracy
The EPDE together with MEMO 98 hosted a panel at the 29th Forum 2000 Conference in Prague on 13 October with Rasto Kuzel, Beata Martin-Rozumilowicz, Nino Dolidze, Mulle Musau, and Stefanie Schiffer. Drawing on experiences from Slovakia, Georgia, Moldova and Kenya, the panel explored how elections have become battlegrounds in the global struggle between democracy […]
Georgia | OSCE Human Rights Office calls on Georgian authorities to respect freedom of peaceful assembly, human rights amid increasing pressure on civil society
WARSAW | 7 October 2025 WARSAW, 7 October 2025 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) expresses concern over the violent protests following Georgia’s recent local elections. Amid the rapid deterioration of the democratic and human rights environment in the country, ODIHR urges the Georgian authorities to respect the rights to […]
“When observers are silenced, democracy loses its witnesses.” – EPDE board member Zosia Lutkiewicz delivers intervention at WHDC
EPDE board member Zosia Lutkiewicz delivered an intervention at the 2025 Warsaw Human Dimension Conference highlighting the climate of repression and narrowing spaces for election observers and ways to respond. Citizen election observers are often the first to notice when democracy begins to close. When civic space narrows, it shows first in the polling station, […]