🇪🇺Webinar "Joint Lessons from the 2024 European Parliament Elections: Post-Electoral Assessment and Building a Baseline for Future Advocacy"
On 12 June 2024, the Citizen Network of Election Observers convened for an online session to discuss findings from the 2024 European Parliament elections and prepare a consolidated report covering all 27 EU Member States. Organized by Election-Watch.EU, the debriefing emphasised electoral inclusion, integrity, and reform as pivotal to strengthening democratic processes across the Union.
Election-Watch.EU presented insights from its Election Assessment Mission (EAM), which involved 77 election experts and ten citizen observer organizations. Rooted in international human rights standards, the mission identified both challenges and opportunities, offering 19 examples of good practice and 20 recommendations to improve future elections. A Preliminary Statement, released in Brussels on 10 June 2024, outlined assessments in six key areas: equality, inclusion, transparency, accountability, integrity, and resilience.
The debriefing underscored the need for greater inclusivity in electoral processes, focusing on marginalized groups such as persons with disabilities, women, youth, and national minorities. Ensuring accessible polling stations, introducing alternative voting methods like postal and mobile voting, and providing election materials in minority languages were identified as vital steps. For women’s participation, legislative and voluntary measures, supported by gender-disaggregated data collection, were deemed critical. Enhancing civic education and practical voter simulations were highlighted to engage young voters effectively.
The discussion also addressed the disparities in electoral regulations across Member States, emphasizing the need for greater uniformity in suffrage rights, candidacy criteria, and campaign finance rules. The harmonization of voter registration procedures and improved transparency in election results were identified as priorities to bolster voter confidence and participation.
Social media regulation emerged as another key area, with calls for the robust implementation of the Digital Services Act (DSA) to combat disinformation and improve transparency on online platforms. Additionally, strengthening media freedom and addressing the misuse of defamation laws through the Anti-SLAPP Directive were recognized as essential to preserving journalistic independence.
On 24 September 2024, Election-Watch.EU hosted a highly engaging and insightful webinar, “Joint Lessons from the 2024 European Parliament Elections: Post-Electoral Assessment and Building a Baseline for Future Advocacy”
The event offered a valuable platform for discussing the findings from the 2024 European Parliament elections, with a particular focus on equality, inclusion, and electoral integrity. Here’s a summary of the discussions, key takeaways, and future recommendations from the webinar.
Setting the Stage for Inclusive Elections
The webinar began with opening remarks from Roy Virah-Sawmy (European Partnership for Democracy), setting the tone for the event by highlighting the significance of the 2024 elections and the pressing need to advance inclusion and equality in the European Parliament (EP) election processes. Michael Lidauer from Election-Watch.EU moderated the session, guiding discussions through various perspectives on electoral best practices.
Key Observations from the 2024 Elections
The first section of the webinar spotlighted findings from Election-Watch.EU’s Election Assessment Mission, which examined good practices and outlined essential recommendations for enhancing electoral integrity.
An important element addressed was the role of social media, with Democracy Reporting International presenting findings from their Social Media Monitoring Project. This research underscored the increasing risks of disinformation and the need for stronger cyber resilience measures during elections.
Adding a national perspective, Robert Lech from the Political Accountability Foundation in Poland shared insights into Poland’s election process, which provided further context on the strengths and weaknesses of electoral systems across EU Member States.
A Panel Discussion on Inclusion and Integrity
The highlight of the event was the panel discussion featuring Ms. Marie-Helene Boulanger (Directorate-General for Justice, European Commission) and Ms. Sophie Pornschlegel (Institut Jacques Delors). The panellists explored the successes and challenges faced during the 2024 elections, with a clear focus on how electoral processes could be made more equitable.
Key points discussed included:
The critical role of post-election assessments to drive meaningful reforms.
The importance of inclusion strategies that engage underrepresented groups, such as mobile EU citizens, persons with disabilities, women, and national minorities.
The ongoing challenge of ensuring electoral integrity through cybersecurity and transparency measures.
Engaging Dialogue with Participants
An interactive Q&A session followed, where participants posed questions about inclusion strategies and the future of election monitoring across the EU. This vibrant exchange of ideas demonstrated the collective will to improve democratic processes and foster inclusivity.
Outcomes and Future Directions
The webinar concluded with several key outcomes:
A shared understanding of lessons learned: attendees gained critical insights into both the successes and gaps in achieving equality and inclusion during the 2024 European elections.
Laying the foundation for future reforms: the event paved the way for continued discussions on strengthening democratic processes and making future elections more inclusive.
Strengthened networks for advocacy: the webinar helped foster collaboration between participants, encouraging a united effort to advocate for electoral reforms at both national and EU levels.
Looking Ahead: Advocacy and Reform
The event reinforced the importance of future electoral reforms, which will be driven by the Election-Watch.EU Election Assessment Mission report. The discussions also touched upon current advocacy efforts focused on the newly elected Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and the European Commission, urging them to prioritise inclusion and electoral integrity in forthcoming reforms.
Key areas of focus moving forward include:
Enhancing electoral integrity: strengthening cybersecurity and combatting disinformation to ensure fair and transparent elections.
Electoral inclusion best practices: continuing to implement good practices that engage vulnerable and underrepresented groups.
New European legislation: monitoring the impact of the Digital Services Act (DSA) and political finance regulations on electoral processes.
Conclusion
The “Joint Lessons from the 2024 European Parliament Elections: Post-Electoral Assessment and Building a Baseline for Future Advocacy” webinar successfully brought together experts and stakeholders to reflect on the 2024 elections and chart a course for future improvements. The conversations that took place underline the need for sustained efforts in making elections more inclusive, secure, and reflective of Europe’s diverse population. By continuing to share best practices and push for comprehensive reforms, the European Union can build a more resilient and equitable democratic framework for future elections.
You can find the full webinar uploaded online here.
Take a look at our factsheet on lessons for elections-related reforms:
The project is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
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