Election Follow-up Mission: Despite observing progress, there is a need to advance in the implementation of the EU EOM 2023 recommendations.

Election Follow-up Mission: Despite observing progress, there is a need to advance in the implementation of the EU EOM 2023 recommendations.

Asunción, 22 April 2026 - The European Union is deploying an Election Follow-up Mission (EFM) to Paraguay from 6 April to 3 May 2026. The Mission is led by Gabriel Mato, Member of the European Parliament and Chief Observer of the EU Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) in 2023.

The EU EFM's mandate is to assess progress on electoral reforms and the extent to which the 20 recommendations offered by the EU EOM in 2023 were implemented. In addition to bilateral meetings with various stakeholders, the EFM also hosted a roundtable on 22 April, where participants discussed opportunities to adopt EU recommendations ahead of the next electoral cycle.

The EFM notes that despite some progress made, there is still work to be done in implementing the recommendations relating to legal reform. This includes the harmonisation of the electoral legislation to address ambiguities and lacunae, and to increase transparency in campaign finance or reduce the possibilities for illicit campaign funding, including advancing the campaign subsidy to candidates. Similarly, no effective measures were adopted to ensure the equal political participation of women in public life.

Despite the absence of legal reform, and before the next elections, there is still time to adopt technical updates requiring a simplified decision-making process. The EFM encourages authorities to review, for example, the conditions for assisted voting, which are being considered for implementation.

To ensure a credible, transparent and inclusive electoral process in 2028, Gabriel Mato, encouraged authorities "to conduct a comprehensive voter education campaign that allows voters to understand the importance of their political participation, while clarifying the use of election technology. This information must be disseminated widely throughout the country and not be limited to urban areas." In this regard, the EFM commends recent Superior Tribunal of Electoral Justice (TSJE) initiatives promoting the electoral engagement of indigenous communities, such as their identification as such in the voters' roll and dedicated voter education campaigns.

Two media bills concerning the protection of journalists and human rights defenders are currently under consideration by Congress. The EFM supports the active involvement of media professionals in this debate and underlines the importance of guaranteeing freedom of expression and of the press in the legislation.

Interlocutors shared with the EFM their concerns about the potential impact of the recently approved law on civil society organisations' participation in electoral affairs, particularly as national observers. In a press conference today, Gabriel Mato stated that: "It is important to guarantee an electoral environment that encourages the participation of civil society, both as agents of civic education and as national observers, in line with the two recommendations of the EU EOM 2023."

The Mission will publish a Final Report in the coming weeks, providing an updated assessment of the implementation status of each recommendation. The Final Report of the EU Election Observation Mission 2023 is available here:

https://www.eeas.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/2023/EUEOM%20Paraguay%202023_Final%20Report_EN.pdf