Monitoring Electoral Promises: Tools and Partnerships for Greater Accountability

How can we ensure that campaign promises don’t vanish after election day? In a joint expert meeting in Skopje, civil society organizations and international specialists explored tools and strategies to monitor electoral promises and government actions. The goal: greater transparency, accountability, and trust in democracy.

The event was organized by the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) with the support of the Swiss Embassy in North Macedonia. It brought together representatives from civil society, international experts, and government partners to exchange best practices and identify opportunities for collaboration in tracking political pledges and evaluating policy delivery.

Co-organizing partners included Strategic Management Solutions, the Metamorphosis Foundation, and the Center for Research and Policy Making. Special contributions were made by Tatjana Hilscher-Bogussevich and Rasťo Kužel, who provided insights into European and global methodologies to monitor election-related accountability.

Participants shared practical approaches such as:

• Monitoring matrices used in electoral support programmes;

• Truthmeter fact-checking tools tailored for election pledges;

• Gender Budget Watchdog Network practices linking spending to promises;

• Social media analysis techniques to assess ongoing campaign rhetoric and delivery;

• Evidence-based monitoring principles to ensure objectivity and impact.

“We need to bridge the gap between campaign season and governance. Monitoring promises isn’t just about checking boxes—it’s about enabling informed citizenship and restoring democratic trust,” said Rasťo Kužel.

Tatiana Hilscher-Bogussevich emphasized that effective monitoring requires clear principles, consistent methodology, and collaboration across sectors. She also highlighted how global experience shows that such monitoring can not only expose gaps but also incentivize better performance from those in power.

The event concluded with a call for stronger cooperation among civic actors, independent media, and oversight bodies to institutionalize promise tracking as a standard part of democratic life.

We remains committed to contributing to such efforts, sharing international expertise and helping tailor accountability mechanisms to national contexts.

In the framework of the consultancy with IFES, Rasťo Kužel also authored the paper "Using Online Media to Monitor Electoral Promises," which explores how digital platforms can be leveraged to enhance political accountability and civic engagement. Drawing on examples from Serbia (Istinomer), Slovakia (VoteMatch), and the United States (PolitiFact), the paper highlights how online tools empower citizens, journalists, and civil society organizations to monitor electoral commitments beyond election day. It underscores the importance of transparency, continuous engagement, and disinformation countermeasures, while offering practical, low-cost strategies tailored to the North Macedonian context—such as strengthening the Truthmeter.mk platform and engaging young people through interactive formats and digital literacy initiatives. The paper provides a useful roadmap for integrating technology into democratic oversight and turning political promises into measurable outcomes. Read the full paper

In a complementary paper, Information Deserts and Their Impact on Elections, Kužel examines the democratic risks posed by the decline of local journalism and the resulting scarcity of accessible, independent news—especially in rural or underserved communities. Focusing on global trends and zooming in on the Western Balkans, with a detailed case study on North Macedonia, the study shows how media ownership concentration, political interference, and economic pressures have eroded trust and transparency in the electoral process. It identifies the consequences of such “information deserts” for voter engagement and electoral integrity, including susceptibility to disinformation and ethnic polarization. The paper offers actionable recommendations to counter these challenges—such as support for local journalism through innovative funding models, media literacy programs, and collaborative investigative efforts—emphasizing the role of both national and international actors in fostering an informed electorate. Read the full paper