The electoral campaign for the local and European parliamentary elections starts today and ends on June 8. What BEC recommends to electoral competitors

The electoral campaign for the local and European parliamentary elections on June 9 begins on Friday and ends on June 8, at 7:00 a.m. The audiovisual campaign will end on June 7, at 7:00 a.m. The Central Electoral Bureau recommends electoral competitors to have a balanced and honest speech and to avoid distortion or manipulation of information. It is forbidden to organize electoral campaign actions in military units, as well as in schools and universities during the course period.

“According to the regulations in force, in the electoral campaign it is forbidden to use messages or slogans of a discriminatory nature or messages inciting hatred and intolerance, as well as any forms, means, acts or actions of defamation and religious or ethnic enmity”, he said .Central Electoral Office

He also strongly recommended the electoral competitors to respect the general rules regarding the conduct of the electoral campaign, to have a balanced, honest and constructive speech and to avoid the distortion or manipulation of information in order to prevent the spread of fake news, disinformation actions and any slippages of likely to affect the smooth running of the electoral process, according to the institution’s press release.

Electoral speech and political messages transmitted by electoral competitors must be developed in such a way as to provide guarantees regarding the respect and promotion of the principles of democracy and to contribute to the development of a climate of integrity in the conduct of electoral campaigns, both out of respect for the other competitors and for voters, BEC notes,

REGULATIONS REGARDING ELECTORAL ACTIONS

According to the law, in the electoral campaign, candidates, political parties, political alliances, electoral alliances or organizations of citizens belonging to national minorities participating in elections, as well as citizens have the right to express their opinions freely and without any discrimination, through rallies, gatherings, the use of television, radio, the press and other mass media. During the electoral campaign, the candidates are provided, in a non-discriminatory manner, with appropriate spaces to meet with the voters. The spaces can be located at the mayor’s office, in schools, universities, houses of culture, cultural hostels and cinemas and are provided on the basis of an agreement regarding the maintenance expenses.

The means used in the electoral campaign cannot contravene the law.

It is forbidden to organize electoral campaign actions in military units, as well as in the premises of schools and universities during the course period, according to the Local Elections Law.

The law on European parliamentary elections provides that “in military units, in educational units, during the educational program, in the headquarters of diplomatic representations, as well as in penitentiaries, electoral campaign actions of any type are prohibited”, as well as that, during the electoral campaign the mayors provide the candidates, in a non-discriminatory way, with appropriate spaces to meet with the voters.

The Central Electoral Bureau believes that “voters deserve to have access to objective, real and correct information in order to form their own opinion and to decide in full knowledge of the case” and presents the documents that contain relevant information for the running of the campaign and for the electorate: Code of best practices on disinformation (consolidated version in 2022), available HERE; – Recommendation (EU) 2023/2829 of the Commission of December 12, 2023 regarding inclusive electoral processes and resilience in the Union and strengthening the European character and the efficient conduct of elections for the European Parliament, available HERE; The guide for preventing and combating voter misinformation actions, made by the Permanent Electoral Authority and available HERE.

Constituency electoral offices ensure the correct conduct of the electoral campaign in the constituency in which they operate and resolve the complaints addressed to them regarding the prevention of a political party, organizations of citizens belonging to national minorities, political alliances, electoral alliances or an independent candidate from – carry out the electoral campaign under the conditions provided by law, as well as complaints regarding the violation of other incidental legal provisions.

Violation of legal norms attracts the application of contraventional or criminal sanctions

It is a misdemeanor to destroy, damage, defile, cover by writing or in any way the electoral lists, displayed program platforms or any other posters or printed electoral propaganda announcements, the fine can reach up to 4,500 lei, according to the Local Elections Law.

In accordance with the European Parliamentary Elections Law, destroying, damaging, defacing, writing or covering in any way electoral lists, destroying, damaging, defacing, writing or covering in any way the displayed program platforms or any other posters or announcements of printed electoral propaganda is sanctioned with a fine between 1,000 and 2,500 lei.

ELECTION CAMPAIGN IN AUDIOVISUAL

The audiovisual electoral campaign will end on June 7, at 7:00 a.m.

The conduct of the electoral campaign in audiovisual media is carried out in accordance with the provisions of Law no. 33/2007 regarding the organization and conduct of elections for the European Parliament, republished, with subsequent amendments, of Law no. 115/2015 for the election of local public administration authorities, with subsequent amendments and additions, of the Decision of the National Audiovisual Council no. 149 of April 3, 2024 regarding the rules for broadcasting the electoral campaign for the election of members from Romania to the European Parliament in 2024 and of the Decision of the National Broadcasting Council no. 150 of April 3, 2024 regarding the rules for broadcasting the electoral campaign for the 2024 local elections.

Among the rules established by the National Audiovisual Council are the following: programs dedicated to the electoral campaign broadcast by audiovisual media services on demand will be accompanied, throughout the duration of the broadcast, by the mention “electoral promotion” or, as the case may be, “electoral debate”; reflecting the electoral campaign in a fair, balanced and impartial manner; specifying the quality in which the invited persons express themselves within the programs, such as that of a candidate or his representative; the quality of the invited persons will be visible on the screen at the time of their intervention; cannot broadcast programs produced, produced or moderated by candidates and declared representatives of electoral competitors, according to art. 23 of the Decision of the National Broadcasting Council no. 320/2012 regarding the provision of audiovisual media services on demand; taking measures to ensure equality and pluralism of opinions within the programs in which candidates who hold public positions participate, strictly in matters related to the exercise of their position.

Also, audiovisual media service providers will take all measures to ensure that the following conditions are respected within the electoral promotion programs, as well as in the content of the spots and other audiovisual materials made available to them by the electoral competitors: do not incite hatred on grounds of race, religion, nationality, gender or sexual orientation; they do not contain statements that may affect human dignity, the right to one’s own image or that are contrary to good morals; they do not contain criminal or moral accusations against other candidates or electoral competitors, without being accompanied by relevant evidence presented explicitly.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PRODUCERS, PRESENTERS AND MODERATORS OF ELECTION DEBATES

The producers, presenters and moderators of the electoral debates are urged: to be impartial; to ensure the necessary balance for the running of the show, giving each participant in the discussions the opportunity to present their opinions; to ensure the maintenance of the debate in the sphere of the electoral theme.

REGULATIONS REGARDING ELECTION LIGHTS

In the situation where electoral spots are inserted within the electoral promotion or electoral debate programs, the on-demand audiovisual media service providers will ensure that: the integrity and value of the respective programs are not prejudiced; electoral spots are explicitly assumed, by presentation or content, by electoral competitors; spots of other competitors are not inserted in the electoral promotion programs of some electoral competitors; electoral dspots do not constitute commercial advertising, in the sense of the legal provisions; e) during the electoral campaign, with the exception of electoral spots, the broadcasting of any forms of advertising containing references to electoral competitors is prohibited.

According to the CNA, candidates and political parties or organizations of citizens belonging to national minorities participating in the elections, whose rights or legitimate interests, especially the reputation and public image, have been damaged by the presentation of inaccurate facts in an on-demand audiovisual media service benefit from the right to rectification.

48 hours before the voting day, the following are prohibited: the presentation of opinion polls or the broadcast of electoral advertising spots; inviting or presenting candidates in programs, comments on the electoral campaign.

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