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
NEEDS-EU In-Person Workshop — Towards Common Standards for Citizen Election Observation in the European Union
Brussels, 5 June 2026. From 3 to 5 June, Election-Watch.EU organised an in-person workshop under the NEEDS-EU project, bringing together civil society representatives, experts, practitioners, and researchers for three days of intense dialogue and learning.
The event offered a platform for dialogue and exchange, with participants from 21 EU Member States gathered in Brussels to share lessons learnt and develop common standards for election observation across the European [...]
citizen election observation, election observation, European elections, NEEDS EU, observer accreditation
Europe Day: Towards a more coherent pan-European election
Today, 9 May, Europe Day is celebrated, marking the anniversary of the Schuman Declaration. On this day in 1950, Robert Schuman proposed a vision that moved beyond national competition toward a shared future of supranational cooperation. There is no better moment than this to reflect on the ongoing development and the resilience of the European electoral project.
A challenged but resilient democracy
76 years after Schuman’s vision was first shared, the European Parliament elections have grown into [...]
First NEEDS EU Expert Group meeting on advancing model observer accreditation procedures
Brussels, 29 April 2026. Election-Watch.EU hosted the first Expert Group Meeting under the NEEDS EU project. The session focused on advancing discussions on observer accreditation procedures and identifying good practices to enhance election observer access across the 27 EU Member States.
At Election-Watch.EU, we believe that election observation [...]
election obervation, European elections, featured-en, NEEDS EU, observer accreditation
European Union,General,International
Election-Watch.EU submission to the Council of Europe consultation on the New Democratic Pact for Europe
Strasbourg, 18 February 2026: Election-Watch.EU has submitted a policy contribution to the consultation process surrounding the Council of Europe’s New Democratic Pact for Europe, responding to the challenges identified in the 2025 Report of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe on democratic resilience across Europe.
Our submission highlights the central role of electoral integrity as a cornerstone of democratic legitimacy. [...]
accountability, citizen led election observation, Council of Europe, election security, European elections, inclusion in elections, transparency, transparency of political campaign
IFES Symposium on AI & Disinformation
Prague, 13 September 2024: The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), the Regional Europe Office organised a Symposium on “AI, Disinformation, Coordination: Lessons from Europe’s 2024 Elections in Countering Influence Operations” in Prague.
Building on the recently published paper by IFES and the German Marshall Fund’s Alliance for Securing Democracy, this symposium brought together democratic actors from across the region and from a variety [...]
AI and elections, AI impact on electoral processes, AI impact on freedom of expression, challenges to democracy by AI, challenges to elections by AI, EU AI Act, European elections, interference