election-watch.eu

Brussels, Vienna, 10 January 2023: The objective of SEEEDS is to strengthen the integrity of the upcoming European Parliament (EP) elections in 2024 through more active participation of civil society.

Voter mobilisation is closely linked to the feeling of community belonging; to this regard, transnational partnerships, and networks of active citizens across the EU have the potential to foster EU citizenship-based values. When strengthened, such networks can act at the national level to produce a collective advocacy agenda for inclusive and engaging elections based on Human Rights and the Rule of Law. Notably, citizen networks are able to consider challenges of inclusion and equality relevant for the full exercise of electoral rights of women and underrepresented groups, as well as transparency and accountability opportunities for fair elections.

SEEEDS is composed of four European civil society organisations, European Partnership for Democracy (EPD), Election-Watch.EU (EW), Democracy Reporting International (DRI), and European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE). 

We kindly invite you to the first webinar of our new project “Supporting Engagement in European Elections and Democratic Societies” (SEEEDS).

This webinar provides an overview of the state of knowledge on equality and inclusion in the European Parliament elections. Particular attention will be given to the similarities and differences of the European elections in the EU Member States.       Special emphasis is placed on:

• What are the perspectives for ongoing electoral reforms ahead of the 2024 European elections?
• How are the envisaged reforms enhancing the equality and inclusion of electoral participation across the EU member states?
• What are the best measures to enhance the overall participation of women in elections?
• What are remaining obstacles, and which measures work best, to increase the accessibility of elections for persons with disabilities?
• What needs to be done to maintain and increase the participation of youth and first-time voters in the 2024 European Parliament elections?

Agenda

 16.00                 Welcome and introduction to SEEEDS

 Michael Lidauer, Election-Watch.EU

 Carolin Johnson, European Partnership for Democracy

16.10                  Input Statements

Domènec Ruiz Devesa, Member of the European Parliament, S&D Group, EU Election Observation Mission Chief Observer

Urszula Gacek, Senior Diplomat, former Member of the European Parliament, EPP Group, OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Head of Mission

Alejandro Moledo, Deputy Director European Disability Forum (EDP), PWD rights advocate

Noémie Arcidiacono, President Agora Election Observation, Youth CSO leader

16.40                   Q&A Session

17.10                  Closing remarks

The webinar builds on the findings of the 2019 Election-Watch.EU Election Assessment Mission Report 2019 of the European Parliament elections and on the comparative study captured in the EDF European Human Rights Report about persons with disabilities’ suffrage and accessibility rights in European elections, among others.

About the SEEEDS Webinar Series January – April 2023

The Election-Watch.EU Election Assessment Mission (EAM) Final Report referenced in the European Commission Report on the 2019 EP elections demonstrates that despite improved participation, the areas of equality, inclusion, transparency and accountability can be enhanced in future EP elections. These key themes will be discussed during this series.

Upcoming Seminars

2) Transparency in European Elections

Tuesday, 28 February 2023, 16.00-17.15 hrs

3) Accountability in the European Elections

Tuesday, 28 March 2023, 16.00-17.15 hrs

4) Risks and Opportunities in the European Elections   

Tuesday, 28 March 2023, 16.00-17.15 hrs

Key objectives:

• Boost awareness and engagement regarding their right to vote and register among citizens, especially among women, mobile EU citizens, persons with disabilities, and youth.
• Map and assess equality, inclusion, transparency, and accountability challenges in the European elections.
• Map risks and opportunities for participatory citizen engagement in the 2024 European elections.
• Enhance active citizens’ capacity to engage in advocacy with relevant stakeholders.

Identify actionable methodologies for citizen engagement within different electoral frameworks across Europe.

SEEEDS Webinar Series Invitation

accountability, citizen-led election observation, EP elections 2024, equality, transparency