The Executive Director of the European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations (ENEMO), and Vice-Chair of the GNDEM Board, Dr. Zlatko Vujović, participated as a discussant at the high-level international debate “Towards Trusted and Inclusive Electoral Processes: The Role of Observers”, held on 28–29 April 2026 at the OECD headquarters in Paris, within the framework of the New Democratic Pact for Europe.
The event brought together leading representatives of international organizations, election experts, and practitioners to discuss the future of election observation, with a particular focus on legal frameworks, operational challenges, cooperation, and public trust in electoral processes.
Vujović contributed to Session III: Fostering Co-operation for Enhanced Electoral Integrity and Public Trust, which focused on improving coordination among election observation actors and strengthening the credibility of their findings.
ENEMO’s Hybrid Model: Bridging Domestic and International Observation
In his intervention, Vujović presented ENEMO’s distinctive approach to election observation, emphasizing its dual nature as both an international observation mission deployer and a network of domestic, non-partisan observer organizations.
He highlighted that ENEMO missions are composed of experts who are themselves experienced domestic observers and human rights defenders, operating in an international capacity. This creates what he described as a “hybrid model”, combining:
- deep contextual knowledge typical of domestic observers
- analytical distance and neutrality expected from international missions
This structure allows ENEMO to act as a bridge between domestic observation ecosystems and international actors, while maintaining impartiality by excluding member organizations from observing in their own countries.
Without Domestic Observers, No Sustainable Electoral Integrity
Drawing also on his role as Vice Chair of the Global Network of Domestic Election Monitors (GNDEM), Vujović stressed a key systemic issue:
international observation missions that fail to meaningfully cooperate with domestic observers cannot produce sufficiently robust and credible assessments.
He underlined that domestic observer organizations provide long-term insight into electoral processes, legal frameworks, and political dynamics—resources that international missions cannot replicate in short-term deployments.
However, he warned that current practices often reduce domestic observers to sources of information rather than equal partners. This approach, combined with insufficient financial sustainability, risks weakening domestic observation ecosystems globally.
“Without strong domestic observation, there is no sustainable electoral integrity,” Vujović emphasized.
Fragmentation Among International Missions: A Risk to Credibility
Addressing cooperation among international actors, Vujović pointed to persistent challenges, including:
- competition for visibility
- limited information-sharing
- divergent public assessments
He noted that inconsistent or conflicting conclusions by different observation missions can be easily instrumentalized by political actors, particularly in polarized environments. Such situations risk undermining both domestic observers and the broader credibility of election observation.
Three Practical Directions for Reform
To address these challenges, Vujović proposed three concrete steps:
- Establishing a common cooperation protocol among international observation missions to improve information-sharing, transparency of methodologies, and coordination in public communication
- Redefining engagement with domestic observers – shifting from consultation to genuine partnership throughout the electoral cycle
- Strengthening strategic communication – ensuring coherent messaging to prevent manipulation, disinformation, and public confusion
These measures, he argued, are essential for maintaining trust in election observation and protecting its integrity.
A Shared Objective: Free and Genuine Elections
Concluding his remarks, Vujović stressed that the purpose of election observation is not competition among organizations, but safeguarding democratic processes:
“Our goal is not to produce the most visible report, but to ensure that citizens can choose their representatives through genuine, free and fair elections.”
He emphasized that achieving this goal requires stronger cooperation across all levels of the election observation community.
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The Paris debate was part of broader efforts under the New Democratic Pact for Europe, an initiative aimed at addressing democratic backsliding, disinformation, and declining public trust in democratic institutions. The discussions will contribute to the development of a “Paris Call to Action on Election Observation”, setting priorities for strengthening the role and protection of election observers across Europe and beyond.
