"We meet at a crucial moment for democracy in Europe and beyond. This discussion forms part of the broader vision of the New Democratic Pact for Europe of the Council of Europe - a vision that stems from the challenges of our time and the responsibility we share to confront them", said Marta Cartabia, President of the Venice Commission at the opening of the joint debate on the status and rights of domestic and international election observers, in Paris on 28 April 2026.
"Elections matter", President Cartabia underlined. "They stand at the heart of any democracy". Democracy is based on trust and electoral observation strengthens democratic trust.
Citizens have the right to free and fair elections, but also to know whether the voter's will has been safeguarded and it is genuinely reflected in the election results. "Election observation is a powerful instrument for maintaining, renovating and reconstructing trust between citizens and political institutions" she insisted. "It serves both as a deterrent against misconduct and as a catalyst for more vibrant citizen participation." "Election observers also contribute to the protection of a wide range of those fundamental rights that are essential for democratic elections - the right to vote and be elected, participation in public affairs, the freedoms of expression, assembly and association, and the right to equal protection and to an effective remedy"
Election observers are both the watchdogs of electoral integrity and democracy, and human rights defenders.
"Independent and professional election observation is in the interest of the public but also of democratic governments, electoral management bodies and of all public contestants. It is in the interest of democracy. "The strength of our democracies depends on the determination of our collective action", she concluded.
Petra Bayr, President of the Parliamentary Assembly and Gunn Marit Helgesen, President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, also made opening addresses.
This debate was jointly organised by the Parliamentary Assembly, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities and the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe, within the framework the New Democratic Pact for Europe.
Links:
- Full speech by Venice Commission President
- News on the opening address by the Congress President
- News on the opening address by the PACE President
- The Joint debate webpage
