#EU4Democracy - Future of international #ElectionObservationMissions

“The first mission was carried out in 1994 in Belarus. To date, there have been 209 electoral observations conducted by Parliament in 78 countries”, said Tajani, beginning a two-day conference on “The future of international election observation”.

Organized together with the EEAS, the event gathers MEPs, former heads of state, national parliamentarians, representatives of international organizations, election observers, donors and civil society to share best practices on how to conduct elections and to debate the future challenges and opportunities of election observation.

“These missions are an example of our great commitment to a robust parliamentary diplomacy, a fundamental tool for influencing the international scene. It is in the best interests of our citizens to live in a world with more democracies and fewer authoritarian regimes, which often cause instability, waves of refugees and economic decline.

Monitoring elections in non-EU countries requires credibility and political sensitivity. The fact that it is carried out by elected representatives of EU citizens has, therefore, a great added value and increases the visibility of electoral missions. This is why, in the missions of the European Union, the chief election observer is always a MEP, capable of balancing technical analysis with the necessary political considerations,” Tajani said.