Election experts from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) election concluded a three-day visit to Prague today to discuss the findings and recommendations of ODIHR's final report on Czechia's 2025 parliamentary elections and possible steps towards their implementation.
"I very much appreciate the time and engagement of the Czech authorities, institutions, and civil society during our visit," said Corien Jonker, Head of the ODIHR election assessment mission for the 2025 parliamentary elections. "Our discussions provided a valuable opportunity to consider how the recommendations can contribute to further strengthening the electoral process. ODIHR stands ready to support their implementation through targeted expertise and co-operation."
The delegation discussed key findings with representatives of state institutions, parliament, regulatory and oversight bodies, and civil society. ODIHR drew attention to the priority recommendations contained in the report, including those related to a comprehensive review of election laws; equality of the vote; violence against women, particularly online; campaign finance and its oversight; media pluralism and independence; and access for citizen and international observers. The delegation also discussed women's participation in political life, the transparency of election administration, the participation of citizens residing abroad, online campaigning, media and digital literacy, and the accessibility of the process.
The discussions also explored possible forms of ODIHR assistance to relevant state institutions, and ODIHR offered various forms of assistance, including legal reviews of legislation, expert discussions, and thematic workshops, and electoral stakeholders expressed a commitment to engage in further discussions and follow-up activities with ODIHR to bring Czechia's elections closer in line with ODIHR commitments and other international standards for democratic elections.
In its election observation work, ODIHR also assesses countries' efforts to implement previous recommendations through changes in legislation, procedures, and practices. In the case of Czechia, the ODIHR Election Assessment Mission evaluated the follow-up to recommendations made following the 2017 and 2021 parliamentary elections and the 2023 presidential election. It concluded that two previous recommendations had been fully implemented, three had been mostly implemented, and 13 had been partially implemented, while the others remain to be addressed.
