Assya Kavrakova

Executive Director

Brussels

Biography

Ms. Assya Kavrakova is the Executive Director of the European Citizen Action Service (ECAS) - http://www.ecas.org/ - an international non-profit association, based in Brussels, with a pan-European membership and more than 30 years of experience in empowering citizens to exercise their rights and campaigning for an inclusive, transparent and democratic Europe. With twenty five years' experience in senior management positions leading national and international teams of experts and NGOs, Assya has thorough knowledge of the European Citizenship, EU law, EU structural and Cohesion Policy, Schengen regulatory framework, EU external policy decision-making, EU enlargement policy and leverage, European Rights framework, EU civic participation formal and informal mechanisms. She has an extensive knowledge of SEE civil society and regional development issues and in-depth knowledge of the post-accession state of affairs in the ten new member states from CEE. Keen promoter of digital empowerment of citizens, with a forward-looking attitude towards digital democracy and digital management, Assya has a Certificate of the Solvay Brussels school of Economics and Management for a QiLeader (Leading authentically in digital times) and is acknowledged as one of the 21 Digital4Development influencers to be followed in 2021 by the European Digital Development Alliance. She is a member of the Chancellery of the European Citizen's Prize of the European Parliament 2020 - 2024. Assya Kavrakova is also a member of the Board of EUobserver - https://euobserver.com/ - a not-for-profit, independent online newspaper.

Organisation

European Citizen Action Service (ECAS)

Speaker session

(UTC+01:00) Brussels, Copenhagen, Madrid, Paris

23/10 - Day 1

16:30 - 17:30

Session 4 : Strengthening electoral resilience: international cooperation to address common threats

Closed session

Closed

Closed session

TOPIC: These exchanges will review the importance of international cooperation, focusing on cooperation within the European Cooperation Network on Elections, between EU networks and with international partners to address threats to elections. The session will discuss identification of common challenges and increased awareness of the importance of international cooperation in addressing electoral threats, successful models of cooperation in countering disinformation, foreign interference and cyber threats.

SPEAKERS:

Srdjan Darmanovic, President of the Council of Democratic Elections (CDE) of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe
Tanit Koch, Member of the Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity (TCEI) Columnist and Investor of The New European
Therese Pearce-Laanela, Head of Programme, Electoral Processes at the International IDEA

MODERATOR: Julien Mousnier, Director for Rule of Law, Fundamental Rights and Democracy, DG Justice and Consumers

Interventions by Members of the European Cooperation Network on Elections

Srdjan Darmanovic

President of the Council of Democratic Elections

Tanit Elisabeth Sophie Koch

Member of the Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity (TCEI) Columnist and Investor of The New European

Therese Pearce Laanela

Head of Programme, Electoral Processes

Julien Mousnier

Director for Rule of Law, Fundamental Rights and Democracy

Tanit Elisabeth Sophie Koch

Member of the Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity (TCEI) Columnist and Investor of The New European

Berlin

Biography

Tanit Koch is a journalist, moderator and communications consultant. Until 2018 she was editor-in-chief of Europe's largest newspaper BILD, then served as managing director of the German tv news channel ntv and as editor of the integrated newsroom at commercial broadcaster RTL. She advised CDU candidate Armin Laschet on communications during the German electoral campaign 2021.

Tanit writes the weekly column "Germansplaining" in The New European. She studied in Pamplona, Tübingen, Paris, Cologne and Stanford and holds degrees in law and political science. She is a member of the Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity, founded in 2018 by Former Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Michael Chertoff, former US secretary of homeland security. In 2023 she joined the advisory board of the newly-founded Center for News, Technology and Innovation (CNTI). In other news she's a mediocre farmer, aspiring guitarist and enthusiastic tennis-player.

Organisation

The New European

Speaker session

(UTC+01:00) Brussels, Copenhagen, Madrid, Paris

23/10 - Day 1

16:30 - 17:30

Session 4 : Strengthening electoral resilience: international cooperation to address common threats

Closed session

Closed

Closed session

TOPIC: These exchanges will review the importance of international cooperation, focusing on cooperation within the European Cooperation Network on Elections, between EU networks and with international partners to address threats to elections. The session will discuss identification of common challenges and increased awareness of the importance of international cooperation in addressing electoral threats, successful models of cooperation in countering disinformation, foreign interference and cyber threats.

SPEAKERS:

Srdjan Darmanovic, President of the Council of Democratic Elections (CDE) of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe
Tanit Koch, Member of the Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity (TCEI) Columnist and Investor of The New European
Therese Pearce-Laanela, Head of Programme, Electoral Processes at the International IDEA

MODERATOR: Julien Mousnier, Director for Rule of Law, Fundamental Rights and Democracy, DG Justice and Consumers

Interventions by Members of the European Cooperation Network on Elections

Srdjan Darmanovic

President of the Council of Democratic Elections

Tanit Elisabeth Sophie Koch

Member of the Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity (TCEI) Columnist and Investor of The New European

Therese Pearce Laanela

Head of Programme, Electoral Processes

Julien Mousnier

Director for Rule of Law, Fundamental Rights and Democracy

Silvana Koch-Mehrin

President and Founder

Brussels

Biography

Silvana is the President and Founder of Women Political Leaders (WPL), the worldwide network of women politicians. WPL is an independent, non-partisan and not-for-profit international association that aims to increase both the number and influence of women in political leadership. Silvana served as Vice-President of the European Parliament (2009-2011) and Member of the European Parliament (2004-2014), elected in Germany. Before her time in politics, she founded and ran a public affairs consultancy in Brussels, which later merged with a larger US firm. In addition to her work for WPL, Silvana serves on the board of the Council of Women World Leaders, the network of women Presidents and Prime Ministers. She is also a member of the European Leadership Network (ELN), a member of the Global Advisory Network of Apolitical Academy Global, an advisory board member to PINK!, and a Venture Partner at Conny&Co. Previously, she was a senior Special Advisor for EY and Senior Advisor to Binance. From 2016-2020, Silvana represented the EU in the Executive Committee of W20, an official engagement group of the G20. In 2018 and 2019, she was ranked as one of the 100 most influential persons in gender equality by Apolitical. In 2004, she was honored as the "New Politician of the Year" in Germany by politik&kommunikation. Silvana is a Young Global Leader Alumni of the World Economic Forum. She lives in Brussels, Belgium with her three kids and their Irish father.

Organisation

Women Political Leaders (WPL)

Speaker session

(UTC+01:00) Brussels, Copenhagen, Madrid, Paris

23/10 - Day 1

16:30 - 17:30

Session 4 : Strengthening electoral resilience: international cooperation to address common threats

Closed session

Closed

Closed session

TOPIC: These exchanges will review the importance of international cooperation, focusing on cooperation within the European Cooperation Network on Elections, between EU networks and with international partners to address threats to elections. The session will discuss identification of common challenges and increased awareness of the importance of international cooperation in addressing electoral threats, successful models of cooperation in countering disinformation, foreign interference and cyber threats.

SPEAKERS:

Srdjan Darmanovic, President of the Council of Democratic Elections (CDE) of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe
Tanit Koch, Member of the Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity (TCEI) Columnist and Investor of The New European
Therese Pearce-Laanela, Head of Programme, Electoral Processes at the International IDEA

MODERATOR: Julien Mousnier, Director for Rule of Law, Fundamental Rights and Democracy, DG Justice and Consumers

Interventions by Members of the European Cooperation Network on Elections

Srdjan Darmanovic

President of the Council of Democratic Elections

Tanit Elisabeth Sophie Koch

Member of the Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity (TCEI) Columnist and Investor of The New European

Therese Pearce Laanela

Head of Programme, Electoral Processes

Julien Mousnier

Director for Rule of Law, Fundamental Rights and Democracy