On Tuesday 27 September, the day after a referendum on changing the constitution of Azerbaijan, the EU called on the government in Baku to take account of the Venice Commission’s findings during the process of implementation of the draft constitutional amendments.
In a preliminary report, the Venice Commission criticised the changes, saying that many of them seriously upset the balance of power, granting unprecedented powers to the president. It also criticised the amendment restricting public gatherings.
In a press release, the European External Action Service said that the referendum had taken place "in a peaceful atmosphere. Some shortcomings were noted, however, in the process, notably as regards prior debate in Parliament, while some activists were detained during the campaign. (…) The European Union will remain engaged in dialogue with Azerbaijan as regards these and other key issues".
Most people in Azerbaijan voted in favour of all 29 of the referendum questions. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)