In 2025, the Council of Europe Project Improving Electoral Practice in the Republic of Moldova, 2025–2028 achieved significant results. Among the key accomplishments were:
- Strengthening the capacity of the Central Electoral Commission’s Division on supervision and control of political party financing;
- Tailored trainings for judges, prosecutors, and investigators on electoral disputes and financial violations;
- Support for crisis communication and the organisation of an electoral school for journalists;
- Awareness-raising campaigns promoting zero tolerance towards hate speech and sexism in elections, in synergy with other CoE projects and UN Women in Moldova;
- Mobilisation of young people to participate more actively in public life and electoral processes;
- Strategic planning workshops for the CEC and the Centre for Continuous Electoral Training, based on the Council of Europe URSO methodology.
With more than 40 activities carried out, 81 percent of the planned actions have already been fully implemented, with the remaining ones underway.
These results were reviewed and highlighted during the Steering Committee meeting in Chisinau, where members also agreed on key objectives and approved planned actions for 2026. The Committee reaffirmed its determination to pursue reforms that will strengthen transparency, inclusiveness, and public confidence in electoral processes, in line with European standards and Moldova’s EU accession agenda.
Opening the meeting, Mr Falk Lange, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Chisinau, underlined: “All assistance and expertise come to a better assurance of the right to elect and to be elected by the citizens of the Republic of Moldova, enshrined in Article 3, Protocol 1 to the European Convention on Human Rights – The Right to Free Elections.” He also highlighted the symbolic significance of Moldova’s 30th anniversary of membership in the Council of Europe, coinciding with its presidency of the Committee of Ministers, and commended Moldova’s resilience during the 2024 Presidential and 2025 Parliamentary elections, noting reforms such as the adoption of Law 100/2025 targeting electoral corruption and illicit finance.
The Steering Committee brought together representatives of the Parliament, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Central Electoral Commission, the National Institute of Justice, the Centre for Continuous Electoral Training, the Audiovisual Council, civil society organisations, development partners, and international observers.
The Project Improving Electoral Practice in the Republic of Moldova, 2025–2028 is implemented within the framework of the Council of Europe Action Plan for the Republic of Moldova 2025–2028, in close cooperation with the Central Electoral Commission and other national and international partners.
