EPDE Statement: Meet the Props: How Lukashenka’s Fake Observers Tried to Sell His Sham Election
The European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE) has exposed how over 90 politically biased “observers” were deployed to whitewash the fraudulent 2025 Belarusian Presidential Election. The Lukashenka regime, notorious for systematic human rights abuses and repression of civil society, manufactured international legitimacy by inviting hand-picked “observers”—many with direct ties to authoritarian regimes, Kremlin-linked disinformation networks, or criminal investigations in their home countries. […]
Lukashenka or Lukashenka? Elections* without Choice in Belarus
The European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE),together with Belarusian Helsinki Committee and Human Rights Center Viasna, hosted a briefing on Belarus’s upcoming presidential elections*, scheduled for January 26, 2025. The recording is now available on YouTube. For the seventh time, Belarus is staging the ritual of “electing” Aliaksandr Lukashenka as president, in a climate of […]
European Democracy Hub: What Does the ‘Year of Elections’ Tell Us About Democracy?
Moldova: Elections and Kremlin’s Shadow By Lukasz Kondraciuk, Election Integrity and CivicTech Lead at the European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE). Moldova’s October 2024 elections and referendum, characterised by unprecedented Kremlin-sponsored influence attempts, highlighted a climate of profound political and geopolitical divisions in the country representing two drastically competing visions for Moldova’s future. The governing […]
ISFED: The illegitimate parliament subordinates the municipal representative body electoral system to the interests of the Georgian Dream
The statement was first published on ISFED’s website. On December 13, 2024, the illegitimate Parliament of Georgia unilaterally and in an accelerated manner amended the Organic Law of Georgia “Election Code of Georgia” and significantly increased the share of the majoritarian component in the mixed electoral system for the elections of the representative body of […]
Press statement: The Return of the Western Colluders: Fake Observers at the Georgian Parliamentary Elections 2024
The European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE), in cooperation with researcher Eto Buziashvili, Research Associate of the Atlantic Council’s DFRLab, identified 23 politically biased observers who helped whitewash the fraudulent 2024 Georgian Parliamentary Election. Authoritarian regimes like Russia and Azerbaijan have long relied on such observers to legitimize rigged elections. While heightened scrutiny has curbed […]
Russia to Use Political, Financial, and Informational Influence to Interfere With the Post-War Elections in Ukraine. The Government Needs to Counteract Now
Russia is interfering with elections in democracies all over the world, resorting to any means, from cyberattacks to direct voter bribery, from sharing disinformation and disrupting society to discrediting candidates who are “unacceptable” for the Russian government. Contrariwise, they support politicians or parties ready to cooperate with the Putin’s regime. The recent elections, in Romania, Moldova, USA, and Georgia, […]
From Ballots to Security: FURIC2024 in Brussels
On December 11-12 in Brussels, FURIC 2024 brought together 32 inspiring speakers and over 120 participants to tackle the critical theme ‘From Ballots to Security: Advancing Resilience Through Electoral Reforms.’ With hybrid threats growing and technology reshaping the electoral landscape, the discussions emphasized practical strategies to safeguard democracy worldwide. We discussed these pressing issues with […]
“Elections are a cornerstone of security” – Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s keynote at FURIC2024
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, National Leader of Belarus and Head of the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus, delivered the opening keynote at the FURIC2024 conference ‘From Ballots to Security.’ In her address, she underscored the critical link between democratic elections and national as well as international security. Drawing on Belarus’s experience, she highlighted the dire consequences of […]
JOINT CALL TO GEORGIA’S INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS: Defend Democracy in Georgia
Georgia now stands at a precipice between a once-promising democracy and the threat of authoritarianism. The current reality is the product of years of democratic backsliding and the deliberate distancing of the ruling Georgian Dream party (GD) from the European Union integration process. Violations during the 2024 Parliamentary Elections During Georgia’s 2024 parliamentary elections, four […]
Venice Commission: “election observers are human rights defenders”
EPDE welcomes and appreciates the decision by the Venice Commission recognizing election observers as human rights defenders. This follows the declaration of UN Human Rights Rapporteurs’ recognition of election observers as human rights defenders in 2022. Election observers play a crucial role in safeguarding a wide array of fundamental rights, including the core political rights […]