In response to an invitation by the National Electoral Commission, the High Representative / Vice President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas has decided to deploy an EU Election Observation Mission (EOM) to observe the general elections in Ecuador on 9 February 2025.

The High Representative has appointed Gabriel Mato, Member of the European Parliament, as Chief Observer.

The Chief Observer, Gabriel Mato, declared: "I am honoured to have been asked to lead the EU EOM to Ecuador. I look forward to meeting and engaging with representatives of State institutions, political parties, candidates, and civil society to help strengthen the electoral process and to enhance democratic guarantees in the country.”

Background
The EU EOM will provide a comprehensive, independent, and impartial assessment of the electoral process based on international and regional standards for democratic elections. 

The EU EOM will be composed by different groups of observers. The Core Team will consist of 10 election experts who are scheduled to arrive in Ecuador on 28 December 2024. 38 long-term observers will then join the mission in the first week of January and will be deployed across the country. Finally, at least an additional 40 short-term observers will reinforce the mission on election day. The EU EOM will remain in the country until the completion of the electoral process.

In line with the EU methodology on election observation, the mission will issue a preliminary statement and hold a press conference after the elections. A final report, including recommendations for future electoral processes, will be presented and shared with stakeholders after the finalisation of the entire electoral process.