Election-Watch.EU’s team expands to support the NEEDS EU project
Election-Watch.EU is happy to welcome two new colleagues who recently joined the team. Their expertise will directly support the successful implementation of our latest project, the Network for Engagement, Electoral Democracy and Standards in the EU (NEEDS EU).
Achilleas Stergiou joined as Administrative and Finance Officer and leads the financial oversight and operational compliance for the NEEDS EU project. Working under the EU’s Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) [...]
democracy, election obervation, NEEDS EU, observer accreditation, transparency
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
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
Submission to the European Parliament on the European Democracy Shield
Brussels, 10 February 2026: Election-Watch.EU submitted a written contribution to Members of the European Parliament’s Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield, in response to the draft report on its findings and recommendations, published in December 2025.
The submission highlights the importance of emphasising the importance of electoral integrity in the European Democracy Shield framework, particularly in the context [...]
citizen led election observation, data protection in elections, election security, equality, eu strategy for civil society, european democracy shield, inclusion in elections, transparency, transparency of political campaign
We are hiring!
Vienna, 28 October 2025: Election-Watch.EU, in partnership with its network of experts and organisations, is implementing an EU-funded project within the EU and its Member States to strengthen electoral integrity, advocate for citizen-led election observation, and enhance participation of mobile EU citizens. A Project Implementation Team (PIT) coordinates all activities, including project management, research, advocacy, gender and inclusion, and communications.
To support sound financial management [...]
citizen led election observation, EP elections 2029, equality, inclusion in elections, recruitment, transparency, transparency of political campaign
Follow-Up on Recommendations’ Implementation Conference (FURIC 2025)
Brussels, 23-24 September 2025: At FURIC 2025 – Follow-Up on Recommendations’ Implementation Conference in Brussels, Armin Rabitsch, Chairperson of Election-Watch.EU, contributed as closing commentator to the opening high-level panel entitled “Securing Elections in a Weaponized Information Space: The EU’s Response to Authoritarian and Digital Threats.”
The panel brought together Members of the European Parliament, senior representatives [...]
accountability, citizen led election observation, data protection in elections, election security, EP elections 2024, equality, FURIC, inclusion in elections, transparency, transparency of political campaign
Online Roundtable on Election Monitoring Efforts to Preserve Information Integrity
Berlin, Brussels, 4 September 2025: Since 2023, landmark legislation like the EU’s AI act and Digital Services Act came into effect, while novel generative AI technologies came into widespread mainstream use. Numerous elections in Europe marked by disinformation and foreign interference (e.g., Romania 2024). Globally, the 2024 Trump re-election and Musk’s takeover of X accelerated rollbacks in moderation and fact-checking.
DRI organised [...]
accountability, Austrian elections, Austrian general elections, election observation, election security, social media monitoring, social media monitoring of electoral campaigns, Telegram monitoring, transparency
Article on Mimicking Election Observation published
Vienna, 3 September 2025: Since the 2000s, various institutions have begun conducting international election observation missions, frequently parallel to those of established organisations. While many of these institutions collaborate actively and report on the qualities and shortcomings of electoral processes, others have endorsed the same elections that have been condemned by others. One such institution is the Commonwealth of Independent States [...]
accountability, cis observers, election observers, election security, transparency