News and press releases

WARSAW, 17 November 2025 – To ensure an effective response to hate crime and meaningful access to justice for victims, there is an ever more urgent need to develop systematic and long-term training programmes for police and prosecutors across the OSCE region that also involve targeted communities, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said today on launching its annual hate crime report on the occasion of the International Day for Tolerance.

As risks to online election campaigns increase in the digital age, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) hosted its tenth annual election seminar this week in Vienna, with a focus on election campaigns in the online environment.

SKOPJE, 3 November 2025 – The second round of North Macedonia’s mayoral elections offered voters a choice between political alternatives and the campaign was competitive in most municipalities, but not all candidates had equal campaign conditions and the continued involvement of government officials in the campaign continued as well as persistent allegations of pressure on voters and numerous allegations of vote buying were of concern, international observers from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said in a statement today.

Romania’s May repeat presidential election was efficiently managed, and recent efforts by the authorities to improve electoral integrity were notable. However, the repeat presidential election was marked by insufficient oversight of key aspects of the campaign and concerns over the widespread use of inauthentic behaviour by candidates online. The fundamental freedoms of association and assembly were respected, and voters had a genuine choice of political alternatives. At the same time, the use of eligibility requirements based on court rulings rather than clear legal provisions undermined the inclusivity of candidate registration. Oversight of the online space remained fragmented, and the lack of transparency in the handling of reported violations discouraged public engagement and resulted in self-censorship.

BANJA LUKA, 28 October 2025 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today opened an observation mission for the 23 November early election of the president of Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina, following an invitation from the national authorities.

Albania’s parliamentary elections on 11 May were competitive and professionally managed, but they took place in a highly polarized environment and contestants did not enjoy a level playing field. While candidates were generally able to campaign freely, there were reports of intimidation, misuse of public resources and pressure on public employees, which undermined equal opportunities. Election day was calm overall, but procedural shortcomings, instances of intimidation and vote buying, and problems with ensuring ballot secrecy were noted.

The OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan (PCUz), in collaboration with the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), convened a two-day workshop in Tashkent on 20 and 21 October for members of territorial