“We need to move from permission to protection” – Rasto Kuzel (MEMO98) at FURIC2026
Rasto Kuzel, Executive Director of MEMO98 and EPDE board member, commented on the panel “Building a more resilient election observation ecosystem through regulatory safeguards and coordinated support” at FURIC2026, which took place on 30 September – 1 October 2026 in Brussels. “Thank you to all panellists for a very interesting discussion. I have been a […]
“I Want to Talk About Trust” – EPDE Board Member Zosia Lutkiewicz at the WHDC2026
On 12 October 2026, Zosia Lutkiewicz, President of the Political Accountability Foundation and board member of the EPDE, spoke at the Warsaw Human Dimension Conference on trust in elections and fundamental rights under attack in the OSCE region. “Today I would like to talk about trust. Trust in elections is difficult to build, easy to destroy, […]
“Furic is the place for citizen election observers” – Stefanie Schiffer opening FURIC2026
In a rapidly evolving electoral landscape, FURIC 2026 brought together election experts, observers, representatives from international institutions, national authorities, and political stakeholders to address the complex interplay between technology, democracy, and electoral integrity. “Furic is the place for citizen election observers. We are here to talk, to think, to learn, and to plan our work”. With these […]
ElectLab Academy 2026: Action Plans to Strengthen Resilience of Citizen Election Observers
ElectLab Academy 2026: Action Plans to Strengthen Resilience of Citizen Election Observers 62 citizen election observers from 22 countries attended EPDE’s ElectLab Academy 2026 in Bergamo, Italy, from 13 to 18 July, for a week of training addressing organisational resilience, engaging youth as strategic actors, and train-the-trainer approaches to expertise transfer. The ElectLab Academy has […]
Money in Politics Conference: EPDE in Chișinău
The fourth edition of the Money in Politics conference, held on 16–17 June 2026 in Chișinău, brought together electoral oversight bodies and civil society from across Europe to address the growing challenges of political finance in the digital age. EPDE partners were among the key voices: Building on the Romanian experience, Septimius Pârvu (Expert Forum, […]
EPDE Supports Council of Europe’s Paris Call to Action for Stronger Protection of Election Observation
EPDE members from Armenia, Georgia, Germany, Moldova, Poland, Slovakia, Ukraine joined policymakers, representatives of election management bodies, and national ministries at the high-level conference “Towards Trusted and Inclusive Electoral Processes: The Role of Observers” in Paris on 28-29 April 2026 to address challenges to election observation and contribute to a coherent international framework for election observation in […]
EPDE at the Council of Europe | How Institutions Can Resist Capture and Rebuild Trust: Lessons from PACE
On 28–29 April 2026, the Council of Europe, together with the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, and the Venice Commission, held a high-level conference in Paris under the New Democratic Pact for Europe. The event brought together policymakers, election bodies, and civil society, including members […]
Open Letter to delegates at the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption
Distinguished Delegates to the 11th Conference of the States Parties to United Nations Convention against Corruption (Doha, 15 to 19 December 2025): Commit to integrity in the funding of political parties and candidates We, the undersigned domestic and regional networks of election monitoring organisations, democracy and anticorruption civil society and international organisations from across the […]
EPDE Enhances Strategic Capacity with Newly Expanded Board
Berlin, 2.12.2025: The European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE), a network of 17 European citizen election observation organizations, has elected a new Board to guide its work over the next two years. The expanded Board, previously comprising three members, will help the EPDE in addressing the increasingly complex challenges facing democratic elections in Europe today. […]
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 […]
