Azerbaijan | Free Anar Mammadli: Two Years of Arbitrary Detention Must End
On 29 April 2024 – two years ago tomorrow – Anar Mammadli, EPDE co-founder and head of our Azerbaijani member organization, the Election Monitoring and Democracy Studies Centre (EMDS), was detained by Azerbaijani authorities on politically motivated charges. Anar remains in detention under escalated and unsubstantiated accusations, emblematic of the repressive environment facing civil society […]
Hungary: Post-Election Round Table “Conclusion and Findings from the Parliamentary Elections in Hungary”
On April 13, 2026, following E-day, EPDE hosted a high-level round table discussion on Hungary’s 2026 parliamentary elections, with representatives of the diplomatic corps, civil society and think tanks. The speakers, Stefanie Schiffer (Chair of Board, EPDE), Marta Pardavi (Co-chair, Hungarian Helsinki Committee), Michael Meyer-Resende (Executive Director, Democracy Reporting International), Zsofia Banuta (Co-founder, Unhack Democracy), […]
Russian Election Monitor: “Fake Observation for Fake Elections. Now ‘International'”
The Kremlin has launched what it calls the first “independent international association” for electoral monitoring. Formed at a conference in Moscow with delegates from 60 countries, this body is designed to provide an alternative to Western observation standards, which Sergei Lavrov and Ella Pamfilova dismiss as “politicized.” Non-Interference or Non-Observation? The association’s primary goal is […]
Hungary: International Observers Call for Electoral Reform to Enable Citizen Election Monitoring
The 2026 parliamentary elections in Hungary have been conducted in a polarized and contested political environment. Voter mobilization as well as international attention to these elections were extremely high as its outcome may have far-reaching consequences not only for the future of Hungary but also of its neighboring countries and the European Union as a […]
Senior Election Expert and Team Lead, European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE), part-time (80-90%)
The European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE) is seeking a Senior Election Expert and Team Lead (m/f/d) to strengthen and develop citizen election observation organizations in the EU and its neighborhood, thereby defending free and fair elections on the continent. The EPDE is a network of 17 independent European citizen election observation organizations. Over the […]
GNDEM Alarmed Over Increased Attacks Against Nonpartisan Election Observers in Sierra Leone
The Global Network of Domestic Election Monitors (GNDEM) expresses growing concern over the unwarranted criticism regarding the role of election observers in Sierra Leone, and targeted attacks against GNDEM member organization, the National Election Watch (NEW). NEW is a long-standing, professional and highly respected coalition in Sierra Leone, and has observed elections in the country since 2002. Recent accusations […]
250 political prisoners released in Belarus – including Viasna’s Valiantsin Stefanovich and Marfa Rabkova
On March 19, with the assistance of the American government, several political prisoners were pardoned, among them Valiantsin Stefanovich, a member of Viasna’s Board and former vice-president of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), and Viasna human rights activist Marfa Rabkova. This followed a meeting between US President Donald Trump’s special envoy John Coale and Aliaksandr […]
Webinar: Hungary After the Vote — Understanding Power, Process, and Post-Election Pathways | 25 March 2026 | 15:00 CET
On 25 March 2026, the European Platform for Democratic Elections hosted the webinar “Hungary After the Vote — Understanding Power, Process, and Post-Election Pathways”. Hungary’s upcoming parliamentary elections are shaping up to be a pivotal moment for the country’s political future. With polls pointing to a competitive contest, important questions remain not only about election […]
Germany | Election Assessment Mission Publishes Report on the State Election in Baden-Württemberg
The Plattform Wahlen, a joint initiative of EPDE’s German member European Exchange and the EPDE, and the project “Wahlwatching” presented their Election Assessment Mission Report on the Baden-Württemberg state election held on 8 March 2026. The mission finds that the election proceeded on election day without any significant incidents. At the same time, the report […]
Ukraine | The impact of living abroad during a full-scale invasion on the exercise of the right to vote
This article is a translation of the original Ukrainian article from Civil Network OPORA. The right to stand for election is part of the guarantees provided for in Article 3 of the First Protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights . The European Court of Human Rights has repeatedly stressed that States have a wide margin […]