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On 4 October 2017, International IDEA and Belgian Technical Cooperation (BTC)^* signed a Cooperation Framework Agreement for the Democratic Governance Sector at the BTC headquarters in Brussels.

On Friday 29 September 2017, the Secretary-General of International IDEA, Mr Yves Leterme, travelled to Sopot, Poland, in order to participate in a panel discussion at the yearly European Forum for New Ideas.

_{Disclaimer: Views expressed in this commentary are those of the staff member. This commentary is independent of specific national or political interests. Views expressed do not necessarily represent the institutional position of International IDEA, its Board of Advisers or its Council of Member States.}

In the immediate future, Europe should expect an increase in hacking of elections and countries would do well to step up their cyber protection. 

14 September 2017 | STOCKHOLM – Understanding the meaning of active citizenship and participatory democracy they relate to daily life is important for shaping a more educated and more active citizen.

Election and cybersecurity  has changed dramatically over recent years, with high profile cases of elections-related hacking. All of these incidents are inherently difficult to trace back to their source, but it becomes increasingly apparent that they may be part of a campaign to undermine the perceived integrity of electoral processes and institutions.

On 13-14 June, International IDEA organized a two-day round table on the topic of cybersecurity in elections. The event was attended by electoral management bodies from across Europe and the United States, as well as cybersecurity agencies, academics, and independent experts. The main findings can be found in the summary. 
 

Democratic experiments such as the “Spitzenkandidaten” and individual European political party membership[1] are new to the EU political scene, and have both supporters and critics. Many hope that these new features will reinvigorate interest and enthusiasm for the 2019 EU elections, and make them more visible to citizens. European political parties are still far, however, from being the pan-European movements they aspire to be.

Democracy has become the legitimate demand of all local communities, and in the world of today, there is an increase in the implementation of political and administrative reforms that are aimed at decentralisation and the strengthening of local governance.

Corruption not only erodes public trust in government and democratic institutions, it also affects negatively budgets and national economies. The European Commission seeks to enhance public trust in government and institutions by combating corruption in the European Union (EU) and Member States.

Many Eastern European countries have a bad reputation when it comes to corruption and to political corruption in particular. The widespread public mistrust of political parties and politicians in the region is fuelled by the obscure origins and amounts of money that parties and candidates receive and spend. Although the laws and regulations governing such political finance have been much improved and sharpened in recent years, there are still huge challenges in terms of implementation.

The Office of International IDEA to the EU (EUO), with the support of the Tunis office, hosted a stand at the annual European Development Days (EDD), held in Brussels during 7-8 June 2017. The annual EDD event is organized by the European Commission to gather the global development community to share ideas and experiences, and inspire future action and partnerships.

The Office of International IDEA to the European Union (EUO), with the support of the Canadian Mission to the European Union and in collaboration with the European Institute for Peace (EIP), WeCitizens and the European Institute for Asian Studies (EIAS), organized a Roundtable in Brussels on 23 March 2017 enti

The elder generation comprises the fastest-growing age group in Europe; the proportion of elderly people has increased significantly compared to the younger generation.

On 17 March, International IDEA’s Secretary-General, Yves Leterme, took part in the 5^th Global Baku Forum on “The Future of International relations: Power and Interest”, discussing the future of Europe.

Leading figures in global politics, gathered at the 5th Global Baku Forum on16 and 17th of March to discuss and analyze the future of international relations and share their vision on potential solutions to the multiple threats the world is facing today.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this commentary are those of the staff member. This commentary is independent of specific national or political interests. Views expressed do not necessarily represent the institutional position of International IDEA, its Board of Advisers or its Council of Member States.

Launch of the Assessment of State of Local Democracy in Moldova

At a time of multiple challenges facing representative democracies across the globe, closing gaps between governments and citizens has become top priority. Central to this objective is the following question: what methods and tools are best suited to engage citizens in a critical reflection on the quality of their democracies? How can such democracy health-checks be made more meaningful and impactful?

On 8 July 2016, the Office of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) to the EU, the European Partnership for Democracy (EPD) and the European Network of Political Foundations (ENoP) endorsed the enclosed Statement on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The Institute for European Studies (IEE), in collaboration with the Centre d'Étude de la Vie Politique (CEVIPOL), of the Université libre de Bruxelles will host a discussion on the crisis of the rule of law in Brussels, Belgium on Monday, 20 February 2017.  Andrew Bradley of the Office of International IDEA to the European Union will chair the policy panel during the second half of t

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this commentary are those of the staff member. This commentary is independent of specific national or political interests. Views expressed do not necessarily represent the institutional position of International IDEA, its Board of Advisers or its Council of Member States.

The effective implementation of  Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development will depend on the ownership of the process at all levels of government, a multi-stakeholder approach, and the capacity to harmonize ambitions with realities.