Last week, we attended the Follow-up on Recommendations’ Implementation Conference 2026 (FURIC 2026) in Brussels, organised by the European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE) with support from the European Commission.
Held under the theme “From Reform to Resilience: Future-Proofing Democratic Elections”, the conference brought together election practitioners, electoral institutions, international organisations and civil society to exchange experiences on strengthening democratic elections and making electoral processes more resilient.
Over the two-day programme, discussions addressed challenges increasingly shaping electoral processes, including hybrid threats, information integrity, digital technologies, shrinking civic space, political finance and the protection of election observation.
Particular attention was drawn to how cooperation among electoral stakeholders can contribute to more effective observation, stronger institutions, and sustainable electoral reform.
Among the sessions particularly relevant to our work was the breakout session “Best Practices of Engaging Citizens in Election Observation”, hosted by SILBA. The discussion explored citizens' role, particularly young people and volunteers, in observing elections and the approaches that can support meaningful, effective engagement. Beyond strengthening electoral accountability, citizen observation can boost civic participation and provide locally rooted perspectives throughout the electoral cycle. The exchange highlighted the importance of building the capacities and conditions citizens need to participate constructively in election observation. The session brought together Elisa Parnefält Størksen, President of the European Dialogue and Democracy Association (EDDA); Holly Ruthrauff, International Election Analyst; and Marcus Agenga, Head of Programmes at the East and Horn of Africa Election Observers Network (E-Horn). The discussion was moderated by Nikolaj Mollerup Olesen, President of SILBA, Initiative for Dialogue and Democracy.
Another important discussion we attended focused on “How Election Observation Can Strengthen Election Management Bodies (EMBs): Cases of Effective Collaboration”, hosted by the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES). The session examined how cooperation between election observation organisations and electoral management bodies can strengthen electoral institutions and improve follow-up to observation findings. Such collaboration can help ensure observations and recommendations connect to institutional learning and reform, reinforcing the longer-term value of election observation beyond election day. The panel brought together Oleksandr Kliuzhev, Advisor to the Chair of the Central Election Commission of Ukraine; Dana Munteanu, Secretary of the Central Electoral Commission of the Republic of Moldova; and Arusyak Terchanyan, Member of the Central Electoral Commission of the Republic of Armenia. The discussion was moderated by Peter Erben, Global Principal Advisor at IFES.
Furthermore, a central moment of the conference was the plenary session on “Collaboration between International Observers and Citizen Observers in Real Time: Best Practices and Lessons Learned from the Zambian 2026 General Elections”. The discussion provided an opportunity to reflect on cooperation between international and domestic observers during the electoral process and on how different observation methodologies, experiences and perspectives can complement one another.
The Zambian case offered a concrete example of the value of coordination between international and citizen observation actors and of sustained engagement throughout the electoral cycle. The plenary brought together Michael McNamara, MEP and Chief Observer of the EU EOM Zambia; Peter Mwanangombe, Programme Director at the Christian Churches Monitoring Group (CCMG); Josiah Kalala, Executive Director of Chapter One Foundation, who joined remotely; and Julia Brothers, Deputy Director for Elections at the National Democratic Institute (NDI). The discussion was moderated by Dr Beata Martin-Rozumilowicz, Senior Election Expert and member of the EPDE Advisory Council.
These discussions closely reflect several areas in which we work at ECES. Our approach strongly emphasises strengthening electoral institutions and stakeholders, developing citizen participation and observation capacities, and fostering cooperation between national and international actors. We also recognise the importance of linking observation to institutional learning and reform, so findings generated during electoral processes can contribute to longer-term improvements in electoral governance.
The discussions at FURIC 2026 further highlighted the value of combining international expertise with locally rooted knowledge. Citizen observers bring an important understanding of national and local electoral contexts, while international observation can provide complementary perspectives and comparative experience. Strengthening links between these forms of observation can therefore support more comprehensive and effective approaches to electoral integrity.
Our participation in FURIC 2026 provided an opportunity to exchange experiences with partners and colleagues from across the international electoral community and to reflect on approaches that can strengthen democratic processes in different contexts. As electoral environments continue to evolve, we remain committed to supporting cooperation, capacity-building and citizen engagement across the electoral cycle, contributing to electoral processes that are credible, inclusive, transparent and resilient.
06 October 2026
