Exchange with MEP Juan Fernando López Aguilar on the future of European electoral reform
On 2 June 2026 Election-Watch.EU met with Juan Fernando López Aguilar, Rapporteur for the European Parliament’s 2022 proposal to reform the European Electoral Act, to exchange views on the future of European electoral reform and the lessons learned from previous reform efforts.
The discussion focused on the political and institutional challenges that have delayed reform, as well as priorities for the next reform cycle ahead of the 2029 European Parliament [...]
2024 EP elections, electoral integrity, electoral reforms, European elections
Launch of the NEEDS EU Project to Strengthen Electoral Integrity and Observation Standards
Vienna, Brussels, 27 March 2026: Election-Watch.EU is pleased to announce the launch of the Network for Engagement, Electoral Democracy and Standards in the EU (NEEDS EU). This multi-year initiative is designed to reinforce European democratic resilience by enhancing the integrity, inclusivity, and transparency of electoral processes across the 27 EU Member States.
The project builds on the outcomes of the Election Assessment Missions [...]
2024 EP elections, 2029 EP elections, accountability, citizen led election observation, election observation, election observer recognition, EP elections 2024, inclusion in elections, NEEDS EU, observer accreditation, transparency
Child Protection Policy established
Vienna, 13 March 2026: Election-Watch.EU is committed to ensuring the safety, dignity, and well-being of children and young people in all activities we organise or support. Election-Watch.EU has established a Child Protection Policy with clear standards to prevent harm, safeguard personal data, and promote safe participation in events, campaigns, and educational initiatives.
This commitment is particularly relevant when engaging with young and first-time voters, for [...]
2024 EP elections, accountability, citizen led election observation, data protection in elections, EP elections 2024, inclusion in elections, transparency, transparency of political campaign
Meeting with the EP Rapporteur on the 2018 Election Act Amendment
Brussels, 9 July 2025: Election-Watch.EU, met with the Member of the European Parliament Mr. Borja Giménez Larraz (European People’s Party (EPP, Spain), rapporteur of the European Parliament on the 2018 amendment of the European Electoral Act (Council Decision (EU, Euratom) 2018/994).
During the meeting, Mr. Rabitsch presented the work of Election-Watch.EU, promoting citizen election observation and strengthening electoral integrity [...]
2018 Electoral Act, 2018 EP electoral reforms, 2024 EP elections, citizen led election observation, EP elections 2024, equality, Spain, threshold, transparency
European Union,General,International
Presenting Electoral Reform Paper at the Electoral Integrity Project Conference
Brussels/Vienna, 19 March 2025: The Electoral Integrity Project and The Westminster Foundation for Democracy organised an online conference on “Electoral Reform: Democratic Principles and Global Practice” on 19-21 March 2025.
Armin Rabitsch and Markus Pollak from Election-Watch.EU presented their paper: What remains to be done: Thinking through Reforms of the European Parliament Elections using a powerpoint presentation.
The paper revisits the historical [...]
2024 EP elections, citizen led election observation, electoral reforms, participatory electoral reforms
European Union,General,International
How best to assess hybrid threats in elections?
Brussels, 11-12 December 2024: Elections globally are facing increasing challenges to their integrity, driven by disinformation, cyberattacks, foreign covert operations, and other hybrid threats. This necessitates a rethinking of approaches by both election organisers and election observers to better understand these risks and adapt processes accordingly. For citizen and international observers, this raises questions about whether current methodologies [...]
2024 EP elections, accountability, citizen led election observation, data protection in elections, election security, EP elections 2024, hybrid threats, inclusion in elections, transparency of political campaign
International election observer organisations convene in Gdansk
Gdansk, 20-22 November 2024: Election-Watch.EU participated for the first time as an endorsing member at the annual implementation meeting of the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation in Gdansk/Poland. Hosted by OSCE / ODIHR, and opened by former Polish President and Nobel Peace Prize Winner Lech Wałęsa, the event took place in [...]
2024 EP elections, accountability, data protection in elections, Declaration of Principles, DoP, election security, endorsing DoP member, EP elections 2024, equality, inclusion in elections, transparency, transparency of political campaign
Austria,European Union,General,International
Election Assessment Mission Report with good practice examples published
Brussels, Vienna, 30 September 2024: Today, Election-Watch.EU published its Final Report with key findings, good practices and recommendations of the Election Assessment Mission (EAM) to the 2024 European Parliament Elections. From the beginning of May to mid-June, the Mission assessed the European elections across the 27 EU Member States based on six key principles: integrity, inclusion, accountability, transparency, equality, and resilience.
Reference report [...]
2024 EP elections, accountability, citizen led election observation, data protection in elections, election security, EP elections 2024, equality, featured-en, inclusion in elections, transparency, transparency of political campaign
Webinar on European elections’ good practices and lessons learned
Brussels, Vienna, 24 September 2024: The final Supporting Engagement in European Elections and Democratic Societies (SEEEDS) project webinar focused on the 2024 European Parliament elections.
Panelists included Marie-Hélène Boulanger of the [...]
2024 EP elections, accountability, citizen led election observation, election security, EP elections 2024, equality, inclusion in elections, transparency, transparency of political campaign