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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
“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, […]