As part of the European Union–funded project “A European Response to Electoral Cycle Support in Mauritania (EURECS – Mauritania)”, ECES successfully concluded last week an Electoral Political Economy Analysis (EPEA) mission in Mauritania. Implemented over a two‑year period, this project aims to support key national institutions involved in preparing the electoral milestones scheduled for 2028 and 2029, following the European Integrated Approach to Electoral Cycle Support based on ECES’ EURECS methodology. The EPEA, a proprietary analytical tool developed by ECES, combines a diagnostic and forward‑looking approach to better understand power dynamics, institutional balances and structural challenges shaping the electoral environment. The tool helps tailor strategic interventions that reduce risks, prevent tensions, and reinforce the credibility and inclusiveness of the electoral process.
Conducted under excellent conditions, the mission enabled the ECES team to develop a constructive dialogue with central actors in the country’s governance architecture. High‑level engagements included exchanges with the President of the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) (https://cndh.mr/fr/cndh) the President of the High Authority for Press and Audiovisual Media (HAPA), the Vice‑President of the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI), the Secretary‑General of the Constitutional Council, the National Coordinator of the dialogue process, Mr. Moussa Fall, the President of the ruling Insaf Party and leader of the presidential majority, Mr. Mouhammad Oueld Bilal Massaoud, as well as representatives of the opposition Party Tawassoul, led by Mr. Alhassan Oueld Mohammed. These discussions provided valuable insights into the country’s political and institutional dynamics, while also ensuring that the project’s objectives were presented clearly to the main stakeholders of the electoral process.
The broader EURECS–Mauritania project reinforces four essential institutions: the CENI, the Constitutional Council, the HAPA, and the CNDH, with the goal of strengthening their institutional and professional capacities to promote inclusive and credible elections. The action focuses on improving and harmonising the electoral legal framework while guaranteeing institutional neutrality, and on enhancing the capacities of HAPA and CNDH to promote fundamental freedoms and counter disinformation. These objectives are fully aligned with the broader cooperation framework between the European Union and Mauritania, which emphasises institutional strengthening, respect for the rule of law, and citizen participation and matches global strategies such as the EU’s Global Gateway and the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 16 and SDG 5. The intervention also integrates cross‑cutting themes related to gender, inclusion and the participation of civil society, ensuring that support provided to each institution is adapted to its mandate and contributes to greater transparency and fairness in the electoral process.
Building on ECES’ needs‑assessment of February 2025 and the recommendations of the EU Electoral Expert Mission of 2024, the mission aligns support with Mauritania’s evolving institutional context. The successful completion of this mission echoes ECES’ longstanding commitment to supporting credible, transparent, and peaceful elections through methodologies that combine technical expertise, contextual understanding, and inclusive engagement with national stakeholders.
