News and press releases

TIRANA, 2 April 2025- The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today opened an election observation mission for the 11 May parliamentary elections in Albania, following an official invitation from the national authorities.

BUCHAREST, 25 March 2025 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today opened an election observation mission for the 4 May repeat presidential election in Romania, following an official invitation from the national authorities.

Both rounds of the presidential election as well as the constitutional referendum were well managed, and contestants campaigned freely despite concerns over illicit foreign interference and active disinformation efforts. The election administration worked professionally and demonstrated impartiality in its decision-making. Voters were offered a variety of political alternatives among presidential candidates, who were registered in an inclusive process. However, the manner in which the presidential election and referendum campaigns were conducted simultaneously, and media coverage that favoured the incumbent, did not provide fully equal opportunities. The regulation of the short second-round period limited campaign opportunities and the effectiveness of legal remedies, while overly burdensome financial reporting requirements together with limited disclosure of actual donations and expenditures negatively impacted the transparency of campaign finances in the second round. 

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s 2024 local elections were competitive and efficiently managed, but took place in an environment lacking social and political cohesion. Extensive legal reforms increased the integrity of the process, but the scope of the changes, combined with time pressure and inadequate resources, made its implementation challenging.

Azerbaijan’s 2024 early presidential and early parliamentary elections took place in a restrictive environment marred by the absence of genuine political alternatives and a lack of political will to bring the country’s elections closer in line with international standards and OSCE commitments.

Uzbekistan's 2024 parliamentary elections were technically well prepared, but the political environment limited genuine voter choice. While there have been some positive developments in the electoral framework, these elections faced significant challenges in meeting international standards for democratic elections. All five registered political parties campaigned under equal conditions, but their campaigns were low key and avoided challenging the ruling party's policies or each other. Media restrictions further constrained voters' access to diverse viewpoints. Election day was calm and orderly, but it was marked by numerous violations and procedural problems.

In its continuous efforts to improve digital efficiency, transparency, and integrity of the election management in Kosovo, the OSCE Mission, alongside the German Embassy, handed over three servers to the Central Election Commission (CEC) today. The servers follow last year’s handover of the