The Future of European Electoral Support

Elections are a central aspect of democratic politics, both positively and negatively. As billions of citizens head to the polls in 2024, the focus will primarily be on who wins and the reasons behind their victory. However, an increasing number of elections worldwide are being contested under unfair or increasingly unequal conditions, resulting in opposition boycotts, greater polarization, and diminished government legitimacy. This trend is a core part of the broader decline in democratic governance over the past decade. Since the Europe an Union introduced its guidelines on election assistance and observation in 2000, electoral support has been a key element of European democracy promotion and a major tool in the EU's external policy, due to both its political importance and the financial investments involved. Electoral support includes two main components: election observation (the independent collection of data and evaluation of the election process) and election assistance (financial and technical support for conducting elections).

However, this support is now facing challenges due to global geopolitical, technological, and political changes that directly influence the competitive landscape of democratic politics and the management of electoral processes. Similar challenges are being seen across various policy areas, from human rights to global trade. Given that the EU's election guidelines were established nearly 25 years ago, it is essential to consider how the EU and its member states can adjust their electoral support to address these emerging challenges.

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