How is the election process in Europe impacted by crises such as the pandemic, war and natural disasters? A conference to be held at the Parliament Building on 9 and 10 May will consider this question and seek to define measures that can be taken to make democratic institutions more resilient. 


Free and fair elections are the foundation of our democracies – yet organising elections in Europe has become increasingly difficult, due to events such as pandemics, war, terror attacks or natural disasters. While technological innovations promise new voting methods and increased participation, they also bring the risk of disinformation and manipulation.

The parliamentary conference will focus on voting in times of crisis, examining the impact of crises on the election process while also seeking to define measures that can make democratic institutions more resilient.

The conference is being held by the Swiss Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) as part of the celebrations to mark the 60th anniversary of Switzerland joining the Council of Europe.

PARLIAMENTARY CONFERENCE 9 - 10 MAY 2023 IN BERN

PRESS RELEASES

02.05.2023: Ensuring democratic elections in times of crisis: Council of Europe conference in Bern

13.04.2023: ELECTIONS IN TIMES OF CRISIS: CONFERENCE OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE IN BERN

ARTICLES

10.05.2023 : Election observation abroad - a Swiss commitment to democracy

28.04.2023 : PACE's Damien Cottier de l'APCE : les élections en temps de crise peuvent-elles être libres et équitables ?



28.04.2023 : PACE's PACE's Damien Cottier, ahead of Bern conference, on how crises can affect the fairness of elections



Das Parlament, das Europas Menschenrechte verteidigt