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All political parties need funding to play their part in the political process, yet the role of money in politics is arguably the biggest threat to democracy today.

The Office of International IDEA to the European Union and the Mission of Switzerland to the European Union co-organized on 23 June in a Round-table on ‘Accountability, Follow-up and Review Framework for the Post-2015 Development Agenda’

In a democratic society words are the weapons we use to achieve change and words have therefore significant potential power. Words are not just symbols to communicate with, they also structure our way of thinking and make sense of our worlds. The philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein aptly summarizes this line of thought when he said “The limits of my language mean the limits of my world”.

This Discussion Paper examines the European Union’s approach to supporting rule of law and good governance reforms in non-member countries.

Throughout the world today, politics has become an expensive affair, to the extent that money is now among the greatest threats to democracy. In essence, the greater the influence of money on politics, the less influence the average citizen has.

In recent years, and under the influence of new telecommunications and social media, citizen movements have emerged as an alternative to political party membership for citizen participation in democratic decision-making processes.

Ethnic conflicts in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Kosovo erupted one after another following the break-up of Yugoslavia.

The severity of the unfolding crises, the likelihood of spillover in the region and the immediate danger the conflicts presented for neighbouring European Union member states induced the EU to become extensively involved in state building and conflict management in three countries.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this commentary are those of the staff member. This commentary is independent of specific national or political interests. Views expressed do not necessarily represent the institutional position of International IDEA, its Board of Advisers or its Council of Member States.

What role does money play in European elections, and how is it regulated? Such questions need to be addressed to ensure the integrity of Europe's democratic processes, says IDEA’s Samuel Jones in an article published by openDemocracy on 20 May 2014.

Corruption plagues many democracies, emerging or otherwise. Here are a few tips for those who want to fight back.

Read the full article published by Foreign Policy here. 

This study takes a comprehensive approach to understanding the reasons why young people abstain from voting in large numbers in elections to the European Parliament.

It considers both the sociological profile of young abstainers and the offers that political parties make.

Brussels, 19 February 2014 -- A new report, jointly published today by the League of Young Voters and International IDEA, reveals the reasons behind the very high rates of young people not voting in European elections and lays bare the mutual distrust between political parties and young p

One of the biggest threats to democracy today is infiltration of political processes by transnational organized crime.

It undermines constitutional frameworks and the rule of law, it violates the integrity of the electoral process, and it corrupts political parties and the very principle of democratic representation.

All electoral management bodies face challenges when organizing democratic elections. Depending on the context, these may relate to security, political, logistical, financial or other risks. As a result, electoral management bodies (EMBs) are continuously improving practices in order to strengthen their independence, impartiality, integrity, transparency and professionalism, and thus ensure credibility of election results.

After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 political parties in Central and Eastern Europe were perceived negatively by the public. Indeed, mobilization against them even became a source of legitimacy for new civil movements.

International IDEA and the Caucasus Institute for Peace, Democracy and Development (CIPDD) organized a conference in Tbilisi, Georgia, in 2005 on constitutional and political reform in Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. It was dedicated to the exchange of information about the reform process in the three South Caucasus countries and the prospects for their European integration.

This report examines women’s political representation in Europe.

Although the overall representation of women in European Parliaments (including the members of the Commonwealth of Independent States) stands at approximately 18 percent, the differences among the many countries are staggering; from a low of three percent in Kyrgyzstan to a high of 45 percent in Sweden.

Uncontrolled finances can rob democracy of its unique strengths: political equality, the empowerment of the disenfranchised, and the ability to manage societal conflicts peacefully. The integrity of democratic process and representative bodies of government remains heavily affected by the lack of transparency in political and campaign finance.

One of the most concerning developments in today’s global state of democracy is the widespread shrinking of civic space. In various countries, civil society has been curtailed by governments who use oppressive laws, cut off funding and harass civic actors who speak out in defence of democracy.

You are cordially invited to this cross-sectorial conversation among senior actors in Brussels to discuss how Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion are at the core of Europe’s Democratic future, share good practices from the Covid-19 pandemic experience, and recommend priorities for the post-pandemic recovery phase.

Keynote Address by: Helena Dalli, European Commissioner for Equality