Elections in times of crisis: Conference of the Council of Europe in Bern

Climate change and accompanying natural disasters, armed conflicts and pandemics are all threats to the proper functioning of democracy. And while technology promises new and more representative means of participation, it also brings dangers; powerful new tools in the form of artificial intelligence and cybernetics expand the possibilities for disinformation and the manipulation of political opinion. In this context, holding free and fair elections is a particular challenge. Swiss and foreign parliamentarians and national and international experts on elections and election observation will meet to discuss these issues at the parliamentary conference on 9 and 10 May. The discussions will be conducted in panels and will take place between 9.30am and 5.30pm on Tuesday, 9 May and between 9am and 1pm on Wednesday, 10 May. The detailed (provisional) programme can be found on the PACE website.

The conference is an invitation only event. It can, however, be followed via live stream on the conference website. For journalists, an additional quota of 50 accreditations is available for the two days of the conference. Journalists wishing to attend the event in person are requested to apply to the Parliamentary Services for accreditation. Holders of a permanent access card (C1) or permanent accreditation (C) have unrestricted access to the Parliament building. However, they are requested to register at the following address: [email protected].