Elections in times of crisis
Recommendation 2301
(2026)
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Assembly
debate on 27 January 2026 (4th sitting) (see Doc. 16297, report of the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy,
rapporteur: Mr Damien Cottier). Text
adopted by the Assembly on 27 January 2026 (4th sitting).
1. The Parliamentary Assembly, referring
to its
Resolution 2636
(2026) “Elections in times of crisis”, underlines that
recent crises such as pandemics, natural disasters, terrorist attacks,
armed conflicts and hybrid threats have risked seriously disrupting
electoral processes and have challenged institutional safeguards.
2. Such crises endanger the practical organisation of elections
and risk severely affecting the fundamental rights and freedoms
essential to democratic participation.
3. The Assembly expresses its serious concern that elections
are rarely held in conditions of normalcy. Polarisation, widespread
disinformation, foreign interference, cyberattacks, climate-related
disruptions and the spillover of conflicts have created a persistent
context of risk and vulnerability for electoral processes.
4. The Assembly emphasises that free and fair elections are the
cornerstone of democratic societies. Independent, transparent and
resilient electoral processes are essential for both citizens’ trust
in public institutions and the competitiveness of the electoral
environment.
5. In this regard, the Assembly recalls the extensive acquis of the Council of Europe
in the electoral field, including the work of the European Commission
for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission), the case law of the
European Court of Human Rights and the Assembly’s own election observation
activities.
6. Building on the 2023 Bern Parliamentary Conference entitled
“Elections in times of crisis: challenges and opportunities” and
echoing the Council of Europe’s work towards a New Democratic Pact
for Europe, the Assembly underlines that safeguarding electoral
integrity must be at the heart of efforts to protect and revitalise democracy
in Europe.
7. In view of the central role played by the Council of Europe
in ensuring electoral integrity, the Assembly asks the Committee
of Ministers to:
7.1 strengthen
the coherence and visibility of the Council of Europe’s work on
electoral resilience, including by developing a set of standards
for the preparation of elections in crisis situations and by reinforcing
the Council of Europe Electoral Cycle as a comprehensive tool covering
all phases of the electoral process;
7.2 enhance support for member States in reviewing their legal
and institutional frameworks to provide clear, proportionate and
transparent mechanisms for holding or postponing elections in emergencies,
in line with European and international standards;
7.3 promote reinforced co-operation between relevant stakeholders
to strengthen whole-of-society resilience to disinformation, cyberattacks
and foreign interference, especially during election periods;
7.4 promote regular exchanges between central election commissions
of member States and international partners on threats to electoral
processes and measures to strengthen their integrity and resilience,
building on and reinforcing forums such as the European Conference
of Electoral Management Bodies;
7.5 continue to provide support, including through technical
assistance and co-operation programmes to member States affected
by conflict or prolonged emergencies, with particular attention to
Ukraine, to enable secure, inclusive and credible elections to be
conducted in line with European and international standards as soon
as conditions permit.
