"Security for post-conflict countries is a crucial prerequisite for truly free and fair elections"

Abuse of administrative resources, bribery, exclusion of some voters from the electoral rolls, limited access to the media, and other forms of electoral violations undermine trust in the process and delegitimize its results. However, there is one type of violation that not only breaches the democratic order of power transfer but also poses a threat to the sovereignty and security of the state in general—foreign interference in elections. The attempts by Russia to influence elections and referenda as part of the Kremlin’s aggressive policy are officially recognised. In its recent Resolution, “Foreign interference: a threat to democratic security in Europe” (2593), released in 2025, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe directly stated the escalation of Russian interference. For Ukraine, whose political environment has long been filled with pro-Russian politicians and parties, the outlined problem is not new. Therefore, OPORA has initiated a legal research devoted to countering foreign financial influence on parties and electoral processes. In this text, we examined the experiences of countries that have recently introduced relevant legal changes.

On September 23–24, the European Parliament is hosting the conference “FURIC 2025. Technologies for Trust: Innovating for Election Integrity in a Changing Global Order”, where civil society leaders, international organizations, and policymakers discussed how to safeguard election integrity and public trust in times of digital threats and authoritarian influence. The event is organized by the European Platform for Democratic Elections. Olga Aivazovska, Chair of the Board of the Civil Network OPORA, delivered a speech on the first day of the conference. Below, we share the full text of her address.

The document is intended to consolidate the efforts of the parties to strengthen democratic institutions in Ukraine, bringing them closer to European standards, and to protect citizens' political (particularly electoral) rights. This is important, as respect for human rights is a key political criterion for EU accession.

On July 10, 2025, a group of people's deputies from the “Batkivshchyna” and “Servant of the People” factions registered draft law No. 13464, which provides for changes in the organization of the preparation and conduct of elections of people's deputies of Ukraine and local elections. Civil Network OPORA has prepared an analysis of this legislative initiative, assessing the potential consequences of the proposed changes.

The Civil Network OPORA has prepared an analytical brief on legislative initiatives to change the electoral systems for local and parliamentary elections. According to analysts and legal experts, the draft laws registered in the Verkhovna Rada primarily focus on the mechanics of electoral systems, while overlooking comprehensive solutions for millions of military personnel and displaced persons, as well as security issues at polling stations. While the discussion about the optimal electoral model is necessary, it should be secondary to the primary goal — the protection of voting rights.

Under the martial law introduced after Russiaʼs full-scale invasion, holding elections in Ukraine is impossible. However, since elections could happen very quickly after the war ends, preparations must be made in advance. The conditions for holding them will also vary significantly among different communities. To make an informed decision on where elections are possible and where they are not, a comprehensive study based on clear and measurable criteria is needed. These indicators, as well as the government bodies responsible for collecting and verifying data, must be defined in law. This approach should protect against political manipulation and ensure transparency through public oversight. This is especially important given past precedents—in 2020, the Central Election Commission (CEC) was forced to not hold elections in 18 communities in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions based on conclusions from military-civil administrations that did not contain clear criteria for such a decision. That is why Civil Network OPORA developed a security audit methodology that provides a comprehensive assessment of the physical security, socioeconomic, and socio-political situation. In March and April 2025, this methodology was piloted in four communities.

On June 4-5 in Brussels, MEPs and election experts discussed ways to counteract politically biased (fake) election observation and related disinformation campaigns. The Civil Network OPORA, as a leading Ukrainian organization of independent civic election observation, was represented at the conference by its Chair of the Board, Olga Aivazovska.

This is the second version of the Roadmap, updated based on discussions with a wide range of stakeholders, which resulted in the refinement of key recommendations.