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The event will be held in a hybrid format, offering both in-person and online participation options. 

Money is an essential resource for politics and voter outreach. However, if not effectively regulated, it can compromise the integrity of political processes and democracies. Effective state regulation of funding of political parties and election campaigns (commonly known as political finance) and their implementation are vital for promoting the integrity, transparency, and accountability of democratic systems of government.

On the 22nd and 23rd of November 2023, the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) in partnership with members of the Network for the Promotion of Constitutionalism in Eastern Europe is organizing a roundtable discussion 'Democratic Resilience: Does Institutional Design Matter?' in Yerevan, Armenia.

Securing Ukraine’s capacity to conduct future post-war elections in a free, orderly, and transparent manner will be vital for the continued integrity of its democratic governance and for the success of its recovery and reconstruction. One key challenge lying ahead of Ukraine will be to ensure the voting rights and opportunities for its displaced citizens, many of whom will be casting their vote from outside of Ukraine.

This dialogue event brings together reform-makers from Ukraine’s Government and civil society to discuss where Ukraine’s strongest achievements lie in its post-Euromaidan democratic reforms, how they enhance the country’s standing to achieve its EU candidate status and what more remains to be done.

Democracy cannot be taken for granted. It has to be protected and supported constantly and by all means, at the domestic and international level, harnessing its capacity for self-correction and innovation.

Join our online roundtable that aims to contribute to a better understanding of the current and likely future effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on democracies in Armenia, Georgia and Moldova. In addition, the discussion will aim to distill recommendations on how national and international democracy assistance providers should revise their actions in response to this crisis.

On 4 October, International IDEA will co-organize an international roundtable in Kiev on “Parliamentary immunity and indemnity. Amendments to the Constitution”. The debate will focus on the restriction of parliamentary immunity for Ukrainian MPs. The main purpose of the discussion is to examine  the positions of parliamentary factions about the immunity of MPs and to discuss whether to limit parliamentary immunity.

As part of ongoing efforts to strengthen democratic resilience and institutional preparedness for Ukraine’s post-war elections, representatives of the Central Election Commission of Ukraine (CEC) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), together with Ukrainian embassies, conducted consultative visits to France and Belgium from 9 to 14 October 2025.

On 23 October 2025, electoral authorities, oversight bodies, civil society representatives, and digital democracy experts from the European Union and Eastern Europe gathered in Chisinau, Moldova. The regional conference, “Overseeing Digitalization in Electoral Processes: Towards Convergence Between the EU and Eastern Europe,” was hosted by International IDEA in partnership with the Central Electoral Commission of Moldova, and supported by Stiftung Mercator and the French MFA . 

On 15–16 October, around 50 experts and practitioners from across the world met in Stockholm for the Global Expert Meeting on Protecting Elections, hosted by International IDEA with the support of the Government of Canada. Over two days, representatives of electoral management bodies, regional electoral networks, and government institutions from more than 15 countries discussed experiences and ways forward for the International IDEA’s Integrated Framework for Protecting Elections.

On 17 October, representatives from EU Member States and Western Balkans electoral authorities, independent institutions, civil society, and media experts gathered in Tirana for the regional conference “Overseeing Digitalization in Electoral Processes: Towards Closer Convergence Between the EU and the Western Balkans.” 

Digitalization is transforming electoral processes across the European Union and its aspiring members. While it strengthens democratic participation, it also introduces risks, from opaque political financing and disinformation to foreign interference and cybersecurity threats. These challenges demand strong digital governance to keep elections free, fair and transparent within and beyond EU borders. 

The prospect of EU membership continues to drive democratic reforms in Albania, Moldova, North Macedonia and Ukraine. This report—Part 2 of a broader analysis—focuses on electoral processes and the impact of digitalization in these four candidate countries. It assesses progress in aligning with the EU acquis, particularly in areas such as data protection, cybersecurity and digital governance, while identifying persistent gaps in oversight and institutional capacity.

As Ukraine prepares for post-war elections, the Central Election Commission (CEC) is assessing how artificial intelligence (AI) could strengthen electoral administration.

As part of the EU-funded INSPIRE UA project “Inclusive Support for Participation, Involvement, Representation, and Engagement of Ukrainians Abroad”, International IDEA facilitated a series of consultative visits by representatives of Ukraine’s Central Election Commission (CEC), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and the Embassies of Ukraine to Finland, Denmark and Sweden on 8-16 September 2025.

Mr. Oleh Didenko, Chairperson of the Central Election Commission of Ukraine and Mr. Ilirjan Celibashi, the State Election Commissioner of Albania, signing the Memorandum of Understanding between the Central Election Commission of Albania and Ukraine in Tirana, Europe day, May 9, 2025.

On 4 April 2025, International IDEA facilitated a high-level working meeting in Chișinău between the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Ukraine and the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Moldova. The exchange was part of International IDEA’s continued support to electoral institutions in Eastern Europe, fostering dialogue, peer learning, and democratic resilience in times of significant regional challenges.