A delegation of the Central Electoral Commission of the Republic of Moldova and the Centre for Continuous Electoral Training, in the period completed a study visit to leading public authorities in Oslo, Kingdom of Norway from 23 to 25 June 2026. Participants had an opportunity to exchange with the representatives of the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, Norwegian Directorate of Elections, the National Electoral Committee, the Political Parties Act Committee, Norwegian National Security Authority, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Culture and Equality and Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation.
Ms. Marie Svendsen Mjøsund, Deputy Director General of the Department of Local Government, Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development stressed the importance of the event for involved sides: “We greatly appreciated the opportunity to welcome the delegation for a study visit. Our discussions provided an excellent platform to exchange experiences and learn from each other’s practices in the important work of strengthening democratic resilience. The delegation brought valuable and insightful perspectives on our institutional and legal framework, which enriched our own reflections. We particularly value the openness of the dialogue and believe this exchange has laid a strong foundation for continued cooperation and mutual learning.””
In her address, Ms. Angelica Caraman, Chair of the Central Electoral Commission of the Republic of Moldova, emphasised the shared responsibility of democracies to protect electoral integrity against growing threats from hybrid risks, disinformation, and the swift evolution of digital technologies. “Republic of Moldova and Norway share the same fundamental responsibility—protecting the integrity of elections and strengthening citizens’ trust in democratic processes. Norway, consistently recognised among the world’s leading democracies, represents an inspiring model from which we can learn,” stated Ms. Caraman.
Mr. Franck Daeschler, Elections Programme Coordinator, Council of Europe, reaffirmed the Council’s commitment to supporting ongoing reforms within Moldova: “Our longstanding cooperation with Moldovan electoral authorities aims to strengthen the integrity and resilience of electoral processes. Experience-sharing with Council of Europe member states provides invaluable opportunities to develop institutional capacity and promote best democratic practices”.
Throughout the visit Moldovan participants explored Norwegian expertise across all electoral cycles — from election administration and candidate registration, campaign rules and financing oversight, comprehensive voter outreach in 15 languages, to safeguarding elections against cybersecurity threats and disinformation. The visit also provided insights into electoral accessibility, dispute resolution, citizen engagement, election official training, and digitalisation of electoral processes. The focus of these discussions was to explore practical solutions, share best practices, and understand how trust is built and maintained among voters towards the electoral authorities in Norway.
Norwegian officials in their turn were interested in learning from the Moldova’s experience in preventing and combating information manipulation and foreign interference during 2023-2025 nation-wide elections, the issue that has become a priority for electoral administrations across Europe.
The visit concluded with a meeting with Moldovan voters and diaspora in Norway, highlighting the challenges of ensuring voting rights for citizens abroad and discussing alternative voting methods, as well as upcoming administrative-territorial reform impacting electoral procedures in the Republic of Moldova.
The Oslo study visit, reflecting the Council of Europe’s continuous support for Moldova, reaffirmed that international cooperation and the exchange of best practices are vital to building transparent, inclusive, resilient, free and fair elections and further deepening the partnership between Moldovan electoral institutions and their European counterparts.
The event was carried out within the Project ”Improving Electoral Practice in the Republic of Moldova (IEPRM) 2025-2028”, part of the Council of Europe Action Plan for the Republic of Moldova 2025-2028, in cooperation with the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development.
