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Many EU countries do not provide full access to observers, which reduces the transparency of the election process - OSCE ODIHR

Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir, head of OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR)

10 June 2024 15:35 (UTC +04:00)

The right to vote as well as requirements for voter and candidate registration across the EU vary significantly, most European Union Member States do not provide full access for both citizen and international observation, said Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir, head of OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), APA reports.

“The right to vote as well as requirements for voter and candidate registration across the EU vary significantly, creating unequal conditions for citizens in different member states. Most European Union Member States do not provide full access for both citizen and international observation, which decreases the transparency of the election process,” - Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir said.

Head of the ODIHR Special Election Assessment Mission said that the European parliamentary elections were competitive and offered voters a wide choice of genuine political alternatives, but differing practices for voter and candidate registration created unequal conditions and there were concerns about growing political polarization and disinformation. The spread of disinformation and harassment both online and offline created a difficult working environment for journalists in a number of countries.

Gísladóttir added that the final report on the elections in which 361 million voters from 27 EU countries are registered will be published in 2 months.