The European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE) has set up a database that contains 374 names of notorious “fake election observers” from over 60 countries.  With this database, EPDE wants to increase transparency over election observation missions and encourages journalists, researchers and political stakeholders to study and to take action against international and coordinated efforts to systematically destroy trust in free elections.

The Russian Federation and Azerbaijan are among the frontrunners of states that systematically invite politically biased international election observers – often members of European parliaments – to whitewash fraudulent elections. Without clear methodology and ignoring international standards these “election observers” try to legitimize falsified or illegitimate elections. Thereby they destroy trust in elections and discredit critical and independent election observation in the region.

During the disputed “all-Russian voting” on the constitutional amendments proposed by President Vladimir Putin in June 2020 a group of European far-right politicians – among them Thierry Mariany (MEP France), Stefan Keuter (Member of the German Bundestag AfD) again were invited to the Russian Federation and illegally annexed Crimea to whitewash the fraudulent public vote. Find the detailed report of Anton Shekhovtsov here.

EPDE repeats its recent calls to European national parliaments and to regional parliaments for stronger transparency regulations and for respective changes to their Codes of Conduct. Regulations and Codes of Conduct should require parliamentarians to report properly and timely on the receipt of any financial donations or gifts and should contribute to prevent cases of conflict of interest.

We are currently gathering all the feedback received since the launch and will follow-up on comments and statements very shortly.

Unsure what politically biased election observation is? Then find out more in this short explanatory film below.