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
The European Platform for Democratic Elections is pleased to invite you to 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 […]
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 […]
Webinar: Citizen Election Observation in Africa: Between Pressure and Resilience | 27 February 2026 | 11:00 CET
Across Africa, citizen election observers play a vital role in safeguarding electoral integrity, transparency, and public trust. Yet in many contexts, their work is increasingly conducted under pressure — from restrictive legal frameworks and accreditation barriers to intimidation and shrinking civic space. This webinar will examine the current state of citizen election observation in Africa, […]
Putin’s Party to Institutionalize Fake Election Observation Ahead of 2026 Duma ”Elections”
In January 2026, the United Russia party announced plans to establish a party-controlled “network of professional international observers,” dismissing established, international election monitoring organizations such as OSCE/ODIHR as “provocative” and replacing them with bilateral party-to-party arrangements. According to Andrey Klimov, a member of United Russia’s supreme council bureau, one such deal is already being finalized […]
Moldova Lessons Informing Armenia’s 2026 Election
This year’s elections in Armenia are significant, both for its citizens and for a region facing conflict, external pressure, and disinformation from the Russian Federation and its ideological and political allies. At EPDE, we have observed that small democracies often face comparable challenges: external funding influencing campaigns, rapid spread of online FIMI, and pressure on […]
GNDEM | Global launch of the first-ever report on the Global State of Nonpartisan Citizen Election Observers’ Rights.
The Global Network for Domestic Election Monitors (GNDEM) recently published the first ever “Report on the Global State of Nonpartisan Citizen Election Observers’ Rights”, based on a study of 66 organizations across 53 countries. On 3 February, 1–3 PM UTC, GNDEM is hosting a global launch webinar on the findings from the study, detailing the […]
Statement on the arbitrary detention of Dr. Sarah Bireete
The European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE) strongly condemns the arbitrary detention of Dr. Sarah Bireete and the escalating crackdown on civil society in Uganda ahead of the 15 January 2026 elections. EPDE calls on the Ugandan authorities to immediately and unconditionally release her. EPDE further urges the authorities to guarantee Dr. Bireete’s safety, to […]
Webinar: Moldova Lessons Informing Armenia’s 2026 Election | 19 January 2026 | 14:30 CET
The European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE), in cooperation with Transparency International Anticorruption Center, Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor, and the Promo-LEX Association, is pleased to invite you to the webinar “Moldova Lessons Informing Armenia’s 2026 election.” The session will present lessons from Moldova’s 2024–2025 elections and apply them to Armenia’s 2026 pre-election challenges. The discussion […]