For the first time in the last decade, no French elected official or independent observer participated in the contingent of international observers to guarantee the sincerity of the vote. In a context of tightening of Ilham Aliev's mandate, it is clear that fewer representatives from Western European countries are present.
The month of December was notably marked by a sharp escalation: a Frenchman accused of espionage was arrested in Baku, two diplomats were expelled from Azerbaijan, and Paris in return declared two Azerbaijani representatives personae non grata.