🔎 Citizen election observers in Bangladesh contribute to transparency, inclusiveness and accountability — from minority voter participation to polling procedures.
Learn more about the project 🖇️ epd.eu/what-we-do/p...
Bangladeshi citizen observers monitor by-elections
🧩 #Programmes
Democracy doesn’t stop after one election, and neither does observation. 🗳️
🇧🇩 Citizen election observers from AFED and RUPSA — EPD’s AHEAD Bangladesh partner organisations — were in the field yesterday monitoring the by-elections in Bogura-6 and Sherpur-3.
🎉 This week's BB ⬇️
📘 Insights From APO 2026 | @kofiannanfdn.bsky.social
📝 What We Know About the Two-Week US–Iran Ceasefire Deal
🎙️ Tinder for Nazis, And The Woman Who Hacked it
📍 Building European Resilience for Dialogue and Democracy
💼 @clubdemadrid.bsky.social is hiring!
📬 ow.ly/Xwpk50V7vpa
How are the Ethiopian elections shaping up?
#Programmes🧩
Less than 2 months until elections in Ethiopia! 🇪🇹
On 26 March, Ethiopian actors—from citizen observers, civil society, media, and security forces—came together under the AHEAD Africa project led by EPD.
Dive into the full discussion 💬 https://ow.ly/C71750YCLBV
#EPDNetwork 🌐
📌 The @clubdemadrid.bsky.social Global Commission on Democracy and Multilateralism is advancing proposals to strengthen the relationship between democracy and multilateralism.
🇨🇭 After months of online work, the Commission met in person for the first time in Geneva.
Learn more ⬇️
What is the status of electoral citizen observation in Africa?
#Programmes🧩
African citizen observers gathered last week in Addis Ababa to share lessons and solutions to common challenges as part of the EU co-funded project AHEAD Africa, which EPD is leading. 🌍
Deep dive into the conversations 💬 ahead.africa/en/election-observers-ar...
Designing Democratic Resilience EPD Annual Conference 2026 9 June, Brussels
💡How do we strengthen democracy in times of growing pressure?
🌟 Join the EPD Network for its 5th Annual Conference to explore how democratic resilience shapes our ability to protect fundamental freedoms.
📍 Brussels
🗓 9 June 2026
Registrations are now open https://ow.ly/Uw6850YC9wN
#EPDAC2026
New Approaches to Defending Global Civil Society Authors: Richard Youngs and Elene Panchulidze (eds.) Javier Sajuria, Poonam Joshi, Ann Tsurtsumia-Zurabashvili, Nicolas Bouchet, Rostislav Valvoda, Wajdi Balloumi, and Anna Khakee
#Research 💡
In this ever-more repressive period, radically different and ambitious approaches are needed to protect a free and democratic civic space.
The latest research by the European Democracy Hub suggests original ideas for this emerging phase.
Discover 👉 https://ow.ly/TvcU50YBFm0
@eedemocracy.bsky.social @opengovpartnership.org @internationalidea.bsky.social #EUValues
Joint statement: Call on the European Parliament to support funding for democracy as a smart investment to achieve EU foreign policy goals
#EPDNetwork🌐
A strong EU external policy requires strategic investment in democracy.
Today we’re launching a joint statement urging the European Parliament to keep #DemocracySupport visible and properly resourced in the next #MFF and #GlobalEurope instrument.
🖇️ epd.eu/news-publica...
This article is part of #EUSEE. The EU SEE network is coordinated by @hivos.bsky.social and includes @civicusalliance.bsky.social, @democracyreporting.bsky.social, the European Partnership for Democracy, @forusinternational.bsky.social and @transparency-eu.bsky.social.
#Policy💬
🚨 Imagine a world where activists are labelled as “terrorists”, or speaking out is met with digital surveillance and smear campaigns.
This is not dystopian fiction. It is the reality for civil society in much of the world.
What can be done?
Read the latest #EUSEE article ⬇️
💻 We look forward to continuing this dialogue and helping shape technologies that are truly democratic by design.
Learn more about what EPD does on AI and democracy 🖇️ epd.eu/what-we-do/p...
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Photos: © European Union 2026 - Source : EP
🗣️ It was a valuable exchange with policymakers, highlighting the need for strong enforcement and closer collaboration across the ecosystem to ensure a tech sector that reflects democratic values.
💡 Our Sofia Calabrese shared her perspective on how the EU’s digital framework can be effectively implemented and enforced to address the challenges new technologies pose to democratic processes.
#Policy 💬
🤖 How can we safeguard democracy in the age of AI?
🎙️ Last week, EPD was delighted to take part in a @europarl.europa.eu hearing on “Democracy and Elections in the Artificial Intelligence Era”.
🎉 This week's BB ⬇️
📘 The Power of Our Voices | @article19.bsky.social
📝 Russian Operation to Trigger Anti-Government Protests in Angola
🎙️ Breaking Free from Washington?
📍 Reclaiming Democracy: Lessons From Around the Globe | 30 Mar
💼 @ippfen.bsky.social is hiring!
📬 ow.ly/Xwpk50V7vpa
After two years, we are confident that our work with the National Elections Commission (NEC) in #Liberia will have a lasting impact.
Get to know the EU-funded AHEAD Liberia project 🌐 epd.eu/what-we-do/p...
📋 A 3-day workshop with Emilia Hinkkanen, EPD’s Strategic Communications Expert, where the NEC developed a full communications strategy.
📋 A workshop with Domenico Tuccinardi, EPD’s Election and Political Participation Advisor, for the NEC to explore ways to organise and manage election knowledge.
The National Election: Commission of Liberia sets new standards
#Programmes
🇱🇷 The National Elections Commission (NEC) in #Liberia is acting on the EU-EOM recommendations from the 2023 elections, with support of EPD and UNDP Liberia.
Last week in Monrovia, EPD led two hands-on workshops. 🧵
@maryias.bsky.social @freepressunlimited.bsky.social
@renateschroeder.bsky.social @europeanjournalists.org
@marinanord.bsky.social @vdeminstitute.bsky.social @denizwagner.bsky.social
@nets4dem.eu @oscemediafreedom.bsky.social @ec.europa.eu @krisztinastump.bsky.social @deutschewelle.dw.com @pressfreedom.bsky.social
We look forward to having you at our next event!
Take a look at some of the takeaways from our speakers 🖇️ epd.eu/news-publica...
📌 However, it’s not just about "shielding": it’s also about protecting media as a critical infrastructure for democracy. Protecting the media sector is as important as protecting the energy grids that keep us going.
🗞️ Thank you to all the participants and speakers of "Turning Words into Action: Media Support within the European Democracy Shield".
🛡️ The European Democracy Shield is a significant step forward in the protection of media freedom in the EU.
Renate Schroeder, Director, European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)
“It’s not AI or social media, it’s the problem of the autocratic alliance between tech oligarchs and the governments. It used to be purely commercial but now it’s intentional and political.”
🎙️ @renateschroeder.bsky.social from @europeanjournalists.org
Maksym Butkevych, Ukrainian Human Rights Activist & Journalist
⚠️ Independent media is not only about democracy, it’s about safety.
In areas under Russian occupation, Ukrainians relied on Hromadske Radio for evacuation routes.
🎙️ For Maksym Butkevych, Ukrainian Human Rights Activist & Journalist, hearing his name on the radio while imprisoned became a lifeline.
Ambassador Jan Braathu, OSCE
Words are the most powerful tool for change. 💬
''Freedom of media is not a perk of democracy, it is the foundation of democracy. (...) Losing media freedom means losing an early warning system on the health of democracy.''
🎙️ Ambassador Jan Braathu, @oscemediafreedom.bsky.social
