Lolita CigAne

Head of Resilience Program at the Center for Geopolitical Studies Riga


Languages: Latvian, English, Swedish, Russian

Connect on: Twitter, LinkedIn

E-mail: lolita.cigane@geopolitics.center

Lolita Cigane, MA, MSc (Central European University, London School of Economics) is an international consultant regularly working with OSCE, International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), National Democratic Institute (NDI), Council of Europe, International IDEA, EU and others in the field of democratization, elections, election campaigns, civil participation, anti-corruption and interest representation. She is a visiting political economy lecturer at Stockholm School of Economics in Riga and a doctoral student at the East Finland University Law School researching third party influence on EU energy policy.

Ms Cigane has some 25 years of professional experience in journalism, politics and international work. She was a member of Latvian parliament from 2010 to 2018, holding various leadership positions, e.g., the Chair of European Affairs Committee and Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Finance. She was the chair of the board of Transparency International Latvia from 2008 to 2010 and the public policy analyst at the think tank Providus (2003-2007). In 1997-1999 she worked for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

Currently she is a regular contributor to OSCE/ODIHR election assessment and observation missions, conducts trainings and research in West Balkans, Caucasus and Central Asia as well as contributes to legal opinions and other writing by OSCE/ODIHR and other international governmental and non-governmental organizations.



Publications - author, contributing expert (selected):


Regulating online campaign finance, the case of Latvia, 2022, International IDEA, author

Democracies under Pressure, EBYD REYNIÉ - A Global Survey, 2019, contributing expert

Political finance and gender equality, IFES 2014 Magnus Ohman, Lolita Cigane

Handbook on promoting women's participation in political parties, OSCE/ODIHR 2014, contributing expert

Comparative study of structures for women MPs in the OSCE region, 2013 OSCE/ODIHR, contributing expert

Monitoring Election Campaign Finance. A Handbook for NGOs. Open Society Institute, Justice Initiative, 2005, author of Latvia’s case study

Party Finance: Latvian Experience in a Global Context, 2003 co-author

On the Road toward a More Honest Society: The Latest Trends in Anti- Corruption Policy in Latvia, 2003 by Valts Kalniņš and Lolita Čigāne

A reflection of the shortcomings in legislation on party financing in the 2001 finance declarations, Cigane, Lolita


Legal opinions, contributing expert (selected):


Armenia joint opinion on draft amendments to the legislation concerning political parties: adopted by the Venice Commission on 20 March 2020 by a written procedure replacing the 122nd plenary session

Uzbekistan Urgent comments on the Draft Decree of the President on Measures to Improve the Anti-Corruption System: based on an unofficial English translation of the Draft Law, OSCE/ODIHR 2020

Opinion on the Constitutional Law of the Republic of Armenia on Political Parties based on an unofficial English translation of the Law, OSCE/ODIHR 2019

Kyrgyz Republic urgent opinion on the Draft Law on Political Parties: based on an unofficial English translation of the Draft Law, OSCE/ODIHR 2020

Slovenia OSCE/ODIHR urgent opinion on the Draft Amendments to the Integrity and Prevention of Corruption Act: based on an unofficial English translation of the Draft Law, OSCE/ODIHR 2020

Opinion on the Act on Amendment of the Act on the 2019 State Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria based on an unofficial English translation of the draft amendments, OSCE/ODIHR 2019

Opinion on draft Sections I-III of the Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly of Armenia based on an unofficial English translation of the Draft Rules of Procedure provided by the OSCE Office in Yerevan, 2016