Armenia | Preliminary assessment by “Independent Observer” alliance on observation of City Council elections in Gyumri and Parakar communities
The original article posted on the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly – Vanadzor website. The observation mission is implemented with the financial support of the European Union and the German Marshall Fund (GMF) of the United States. Its content is the sole responsibility of the “Direct Democracy” NGO and does not necessarily reflect the views of the […]
Bridging Continents: Reflections on the AfEONet Seminar in Nairobi
EPDE attended the Experimental Learning Seminar of the African Election Observation Network (AfEONet) in Nairobi on March 24-25, 2025. Election observers from across Africa came together to discuss the challenges for election monitors face in safeguarding democracy. EPDE was invited to join this exciting event and share best practices in advocating for the implementation of […]
Georgia | ISFED is looking for a new Executive Director
EPDE’s Georgian member, the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED), is hiring a new Executive Director. Workload: full-timeLocation: Tbilisi, GeorgiaApplication deadline: April 10, 2025Starting date: May 2025 *** please see Isfed.ge for any updates*** ISFED is an independent, non-partisan, membership-based, non-governmental organization, founded in 1995. ISFED carries out a mission to support democratic development […]
Georgia | “Tightening the Russian law to intimidate citizens is unconstitutional”
On 1 April, Georgia’s one-party parliament, controlled by Georgian Dream (GD), passed the new “Foreign Agents Registration Act” (FARA) that further restricts civil society and independent media ahead of the October 4 local elections. EPDE member The International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) along with more than 100 Georgian CSOs, published a joint […]
Germany | Civil Society Calls for Donation Cap to Protect Democratic Elections
EPDE’s German member European Exchange joins other German NGOs in their call on the next German government to introduce a legal cap for party donations to limit the influence of major donors on politics, protect from foreign interference, and ensure fair competition in democratic elections. In 2024, over 18 million euros were donated to German political parties – a […]
Romania | Candidate support signatures: the need for urgent reform
Romanian EPDE member Expert Forum (EFOR) has analysed the procedures for verifying the support signatures for candidates in the 2025 elections. The number of signatures remains high and is by far the highest in the EU, limiting electoral competition, but also hampering the integrity of the process. The large number of signatures generates possible violations of […]
Romania | Expert Forum’s Response to Elon Musk’s Disinformation and Intimidation Campaign
Expert Forum’s Official Position on Elon Musk’s Intimidation Campaign Expert Forum (EFOR) and our fellow civil society organizations are facing an unprecedented attack from powerful figures like Elon Musk. We believe this is an increasingly dangerous attempt at intimidation, deliberately singling out Expert Forum (EFOR) and other Romanian NGOs in this context. Such actions aim […]
Study trip to the 2025 German parliamentary election
Germany held its early elections to the federal parliament on February 23, 2025. On this occasion, 24 EPDE network members from 11 countries traveled to Berlin to study the electoral system and observe the e-day procedures. The group participated in briefings, meetings, and networking events, as well as observed voting and counting procedures in polling […]
Leveraging Tech for Election Integrity: EPDE at RightsCon 2025
EPDE hosted a roundtable at RightsCon 2025 in Taipei, Taiwan “For every autocratic move, tireless human rights defenders innovate, unite, and hold governments accountable. Our task is to stay ahead, stay connected, never give in.” – these words by a human rights defender at a lightning talk encapsulate the spirit of RightsCon 2025, which took […]
Online Event: How has Ukrainian civil society evolved to be an engine of freedom and security? | March 6 | 17:00 CET
📅 Date and time: 06 March 2025 at 18:00 (Kyiv) 17:00 (Budapest) 16:00 (London) Our members, Unhack Democracy and Civil Network OPORA, in partnership with the Civil Kollégium Alapítvány, invite you to a webinar to engage in a discussion about the evolution of Ukrainian civil society in supporting democracy and security, the key turning points […]