Democracies under pressure: Latin American delegation visits Berlin

Democracies under pressure: Latin American delegation visits Berlin

Berlin, Deutschland - On June 19, 2025, Prof. Dr. Stephan Bröchler, the state election manager for Berlin, a delegation from Latin America, which was organized as part of an information trip by the Federal Foreign Office and the Goethe Institute. This delegation, consisting of journalists, communication experts and Piero Alessandro Corvetto Salinas, the head of the National Elective Authority Peru, aimed to find out about the challenges and processes of the election organization in Germany.

The exchange included central topics such as the organization of elections at state and federal level, the role of the electoral authorities to strengthen stable democracies and the procedures for admission of political parties. The importance of transparency and communication in the election organization was particularly emphasized. Bröchler emphasized that trust in this organization was the key to functioning a democracy.

challenges from disinformation

A crucial aspect of the conversation was dealing with disinformation and fake news. According to the Federal Center for Political Education (BPB), disinformation deliberately contains false information that aims to influence public opinion. This becomes a danger to democracy, especially in connection with elections. Examples of widespread false reports are misleading claims about ballot papers, polling stations and ballot boxes that can undermine confidence in the election process. non -state actors are spread, which is considered a hybrid threat.

Piero Alessandro Corvetto Salinas also addressed the importance of international election observations to guarantee transparent and correct election organization. Armin Rabitsch, political scientist and chairman of Election-Watch.eu, also emphasized in an interview that over 46 % of the world's population were entitled to vote in 2023. In the EU there are about 366 million people who demand transparency and citizen participation in an increasingly complex election environment. Democracy reports that Election-Watch.eu mobilized a network of 100 to 150 experts in order to observe elections in the EU and to develop recommendations to improve election processes.

democratic resilience and the EU elections 2024

The event in Berlin was not only an exchange of information about the election organization, but also a step in the direction of better preparation for upcoming challenges, especially with regard to the EU elections 2024. Rabitsch emphasized that the upcoming election was a test for the resilience of democratic institutions in Europe. The analysis of legal changes since the last EU election will be crucial to evaluate the effectiveness of the EU Digital Services Act (DSA), which is intended to support the fight against disinformation.

The importance of international cooperation became clear during this meeting: The exchange of experiences and proven methods can help to develop strategic measures to overcome the challenges that face democracies worldwide. The structural defects in social media regulation and political campaign management make the need for actions in these areas.

Overall, those involved emphasized that the security of elections and trust in democratic processes are closely linked. Only through constant efforts in the area of ​​transparency, effective communication and international election observation can the trust of citizens in their democratic systems be maintained. The efforts for higher turnout and an inclusive EU are more important than ever for the coming years.