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The report Enablers and Incentives of Election-Related Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference in North Macedonia provides a comprehensive analysis of the enablers and incentives driving foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) in North Macedonia.

Together with the Rule of Law Centre at the University of Helsinki and in collaboration with the General Prosecution Office, International IDEA is organizing a training for law enforcement agencies on Election Integrity: Strengthening Prosecutors’ Role in Fraud Investigations on March 20–21, 2025, in Tirana, Albania.

Democracies across the world – from established to emerging – are facing a new challenge in the rise of online campaigning, and the way in which political actors increasingly spend money in this space. Online campaigning often operates in a space where rules are unclear, malign actors thrive, and regulators struggle to keep up with the rapidly changing digital landscape. 

After hosting five workshops across five countries with Electoral Management Bodies and Civil Society Organizations on the use of AI in elections, what has International IDEA learned from these exchanges?

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 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. 

This report presents the findings of a comprehensive social media monitoring effort conducted during Albania’s 2025 parliamentary election campaign. It assesses the digital behaviour of political actors across Facebook, Instagram and Google platforms, focusing on campaign visibility, advertising trends and compliance with the Code of Conduct on Digital Campaigns.

International IDEA is honored to have received a Certificate of Appreciation from the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Certificate was awarded for International IDEA’s contribution to strengthening the institutional capacity of the Commission, particularly as it relates to emerging technologies, and to advancing the transparency of electoral processes in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

As Albania wrapped up its parliamentary elections in May 2025, a new report sheds light on how political campaigns unfolded online.

Inspired by the commitment shown by European political parties during the 2024 European elections – as well as similar national initiatives in the Netherlands and North Macedonia – Albanian political parties across the spectrum af

On December 6, 2024, the European Social and Economic Committee (EESC) hosted a Policy discussion titled “Forging the European Democracy Shield: Expanding Scope, Deepening Impact, and Maximising Political Leverage” in collaboration with International IDEA, the European Partnership for Democracy and the Kofi Annan Foundation. Nearly 100 participants attended the event, including civil society, member states, EU institutions, academia, and media.

On November 5, 2024, International IDEA successfully hosted a one-day workshop in Brussels titled Designing a Global Methodology for Analyzing Electoral Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI). 

This article was first published as a guest contribution in Friends of Europe's 'Critical Thinking' Online Policy Magazine

By Sam van der Staak, Director for Europe at the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA)

This Report delves into the financial aspect of online campaigning, depicting a landscape characterized by lax regulation, the proliferation of malicious actors, and limited oversight capabilities to keep pace with rapid changes. In this sense, the challenges facing Albania are no different from those being tackled across much of the democratic world.

The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) and the Rule of Law Centre of Finland (RoL Centre), in partnership with the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina, recently hosted a regional discussion on Artificial Intelligence and Elections.  

Yesterday, the European Commission released its yearly Enlargement Reports, its annual assessment of the reform progress in each European Union (EU) candidate country and potential candidates. This International IDEA analysis assesses the Enlargement Reports from the point of view of democracy and fundamental values and presents five key takeaways.

This Case Study is part of The Global State of Democracy 2023 Report.