Upon the invitation of the authorities, the EU today deployed an election observation mission to Tunisia for the local elections to take place on 6 May. It is the third election observation mission deployed by the EU to Tunisia since 2011, and a sign of the EU’s ongoing support for the democratic transition of the country.

The mission of 7 electoral analysts and more than 80 observers will be headed by Fabio Massimo Castaldo, Member of the European Parliament.

Launching the mission, EU High Representative Mogherini underlined the importance of the upcoming vote as part of Tunisia’s move to political decentralisation as forseen in the Constitution adopted in 2014.

The EU is committed to a democratic, stable and prosperous Tunisia, and supports the reform process underway in the country, with the aim of ensuring the long-term sustainability of the democratic transition,” said the High Representative.

Fabio Massimo Castaldo highlighted the strong bilateral relations between the EU and Tunisia, and the importance of our joint work in the fields of democracy and good governance.

EU election observers will be present across the country ahead of and during the vote. The mission will present its preliminary findings at the outcome of the vote, followed by a detailed analytical report.

The EU deploys an average of 9 electoral observation missions around the world each year. Election observation is a vital EU activity aiming to promote democracy, human rights and the rule of law worldwide. It contributes to strengthening democratic institutions, building public confidence in electoral processes, helping to deter fraud, intimidation and violence. It also reinforces other key EU foreign policy objectives, in particular peace-building.

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Press Release

European External Action Service (EEAS)