A team of MEPs travelled to Tunisia to ensure that the country's elections, the region's first after the Arab Spring, were transparent and conducted fairly.

Close to you: Observing elections in Tunisia

Tunisia held the country's first  free and fair elections in October 2011.

These landmark polls took place just  10 months after the Jasmine Revolution.

and among them a team of 14 Members  of the European Parliament.

Their job was to help ensure transparency  and fair conduct of the vote.

They met top officials  like the Interim Prime Minister.

But the MEPs also sought  to engage civil society

and to establish ties  with Tunisia's future deputies.

The election for a constituent assembly  marked a major step toward democracy.

It's a demonstration that a country  can change from a dictatorship

And it's really a situation  where we're very proud to play our part,

but in accompanying this country  to democracy.

Around half the team  was deployed in Tunis,

while others travelled to outlying areas  like Sidi Bouzid.

It was in Sidi Bouzid in December 2010  that a vegetable-seller set himself alight

and ignited a protest movement  that caught fire

throughout North Africa  and the Middle East.

Last month with other  Arab Spring figureheads

he won the Parliament's  coveted Sakharov Prize.

but it's a very marginalised area  with many unemployed young graduates.

So it's interesting to see here in this  neglected central region of Tunisia

how the young people  and the whole population

are engaging with this electoral process.

The EP sends about a dozen of these  delegations around the world each year

These polls are the first  since the Arab Spring began.

They're a litmus test for democracy  across the region.

They could also show whether  governments that grow out of the process

are willing to respect  EU Neighbourhood Policy standards.

The policy creates partnerships  with nearby nations

and helps them qualify for European aid.

The first step in Tunisia  is to draft a constitution,

and then more elections  for a new government.

Election results don't always please  people, even when endorsed by the EU.

Tunisia's polls were won  by moderate Islamists, Ennahda,

but the party didn't secure  an absolute majority.

Despite minor vote problems, the MEPs  say Tunisia has set a fine example.

Tunisia hasn't only been observed  by the European countries

that want partnerships with democratic  institutions and the rule of law,

were able to compete among more than  80 parties that entered the elections.

The EU's verdict was  no major irregularities,

but the MEPs will recommend  improvements for next time round.

This is the first test  of Tunisia's young democracy.

An Islamist party has been chosen.  Europe must wait to see

if the new constitution promotes values  similar to those in the EU.