Interview with Filiberto Sebregondi, the vice president of ECES' Strategic and Advisory Committee. The interview was shot last year by our partner and film director, Jarreth Merz, with whom we have collaborated extensively in the context of the film documentaries on the 2008 elections in Ghana (An African Elections) and 2022 Kenya Elections (Kenya's Democratic Journey).
In 1993, Filiberto moved to Brussels to work in the Directorate-General for Development at the European Commission. In 2002, he took up a management position at the EuropeAid Cooperation Office. In 2005, he was appointed Ambassador/Head of the EU Delegation to Ghana (covering also Togo), where he supported several essential development cooperation and political initiatives. In 2009, he returned to Brussels as Head of the EU—West Africa department. After four years, in 2012, he was appointed again Ambassador/Head of the EU Delegation to Tanzania and the East African Community. After his mandate, he returned to Brussels as head of the EU External Action Service’s (EEAS) Division in charge of coordinating Development Cooperation.
From his extensive experience as a Senior EU official and Ambassador in Ghana, Togo, and Tanzania, Filiberto emphasizes the significance of ECES's approach towards democracy consolidation and credible elections. He underscores the importance of a multifaceted intervention strategy, which spans from grassroots initiatives to institutional-level engagements and high-level leadership interactions. Unlike a one-size-fits-all approach, it is fundamental to provide concrete tools for electoral stakeholders’ training and education, recognizing that democracy is a situation-specific and continuous building process.
ECES has practised this understanding into action with its copyrighted approach: "A European Response to Electoral Cycle Support – EURECS." This innovative strategy takes a comprehensive approach, extending support across time and space throughout all stages of the electoral cycle.
