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Together with the Rule of Law Centre at the University of Helsinki and in collaboration with the General Prosecution Office, International IDEA is organizing a training for law enforcement agencies on Election Integrity: Strengthening Prosecutors’ Role in Fraud Investigations on March 20–21, 2025, in Tirana, Albania.

Democracies across the world – from established to emerging – are facing a new challenge in the rise of online campaigning, and the way in which political actors increasingly spend money in this space. Online campaigning often operates in a space where rules are unclear, malign actors thrive, and regulators struggle to keep up with the rapidly changing digital landscape. 

As Albania wrapped up its parliamentary elections in May 2025, a new report sheds light on how political campaigns unfolded online.

Inspired by the commitment shown by European political parties during the 2024 European elections – as well as similar national initiatives in the Netherlands and North Macedonia – Albanian political parties across the spectrum af

On December 6, 2024, the European Social and Economic Committee (EESC) hosted a Policy discussion titled “Forging the European Democracy Shield: Expanding Scope, Deepening Impact, and Maximising Political Leverage” in collaboration with International IDEA, the European Partnership for Democracy and the Kofi Annan Foundation. Nearly 100 participants attended the event, including civil society, member states, EU institutions, academia, and media.

On November 5, 2024, International IDEA successfully hosted a one-day workshop in Brussels titled Designing a Global Methodology for Analyzing Electoral Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI). 

This article was first published as a guest contribution in Friends of Europe's 'Critical Thinking' Online Policy Magazine

By Sam van der Staak, Director for Europe at the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA)

This Report delves into the financial aspect of online campaigning, depicting a landscape characterized by lax regulation, the proliferation of malicious actors, and limited oversight capabilities to keep pace with rapid changes. In this sense, the challenges facing Albania are no different from those being tackled across much of the democratic world.

The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) and the Rule of Law Centre of Finland (RoL Centre), in partnership with the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina, recently hosted a regional discussion on Artificial Intelligence and Elections.  

Yesterday, the European Commission released its yearly Enlargement Reports, its annual assessment of the reform progress in each European Union (EU) candidate country and potential candidates. This International IDEA analysis assesses the Enlargement Reports from the point of view of democracy and fundamental values and presents five key takeaways.

This Case Study is part of The Global State of Democracy 2023 Report.