The regulatory package on the May 4 presidential election passed by the government on Thursday includes new measures regarding the electoral campaign and the way to run political advertising, providing for non-compliance fines ranging from RON 15,000 to RON 50,000, government spokesman Mihai Constantin announced, informs Agerpres.
The Permanent Electoral Authority is to publish a guide to the financing of the upcoming electoral campaign.
"There is a new provision as to the 2024 presidential election, specifically measures regarding the conduct of the electoral campaign and the transparent implementation of political advertising. Specifically, during Romania's 2025 presidential campaign, political actors are required to release the following information along with each political advertising item: an indication that it is political advertising, the identity of the sponsor of the respective material, i.e. the name, email address and, if public, a postal address; if the sponsor is not an individual - the address of the entity's headquarters," Constantin specified after the government meeting on Thursday.
Also, political advertising materials should inform as appropriate whether "they have been subject to audience targeting or ad distribution techniques."
"This is about those algorithms calibrated to suit the interests of a message disseminator - it's been happening in commercial marketing for years - to also target a certain social and professional category within the body of enfranchised citizens. Well, if this is the case, this must be specified as the respective material is being disseminated. It is also mandatory to mention that the amounts spent for the preparation, placement, promotion, publication, distribution or dissemination of the respective political ad come exclusively from the amounts allowed under Law No. 334/2006 on the financing of the activity of political parties and election campaigns, republished with subsequent amendments and additions," Constantin also said.
According to him, "where appropriate, a mention must be made that the political advertising material was subject to electoral promotion or paid electoral promotion."
"These provisions also apply to all promotion, distribution, posting or editing of political materials released on online platforms, on online search engines or other social networks. (...) The details of how the promotion, distribution, posting or editing of political advertising materials is made shall be established by subsequent decisions of the Permanent Electoral Authority and will be centralized in a guide to the financing of the 2025 presidential election campaign, which will be published in due time," explained the government's spokesman.
Breach of these provisions constitutes a misdemeanor if the act does not fall under criminal legislation, and carries a fine of RON 15,000 to RON 50,000, he mentioned.
"There is also a mechanism in place, that will be regulated more intensively during this electoral period, to monitor content that will be published on social networks. The relevant notifications, which can also come from outside the monitoring system, these petitions or complaints must be submitted to the Central Electoral Bureau and put into the circuit immediately for check through specific cybersecurity tools, if necessary," Constantin said.
The government approved on Thursday May 4 as the presidential election date, with the campaign period due to begin on February 18.