The electoral campaign for this year’s local elections in Romania, which started on Friday, May 6, has some new rules for the candidates' promotion.

For example, the candidates can no longer use propaganda materials such as branded pens, hats, mugs, and buckets, which they used to hand over to potential voters, especially in the rural areas.

The previous election campaigns had few rules and the candidates came with various ways to promote themselves. Some distributed food together with propaganda materials while others organized concerts and picnics to draw voters. Banners and posters were displayed everywhere and some would remain there long after the elections. This year's campaign aims to be different.

First of all, all the banners, tents and other publicity materials installed in the public space were supposed to be removed by May 5, 24:00. Those who don’t comply with the law risk a first penalty of up to RON 1,000 (some EUR 220) from the Local Police or the Gendarmerie. In case the Police also notifies the Permanent Electoral Authority (AEP) about the irregularities, the institution can also apply additional fines of up to RON 50,000 (EUR 11,100), according to Constantin Florin Mituletu Buica, vice-president AEB, reports local Mediafax.

Under the law, the only propaganda materials allowed during the electoral campaign are posters with dimensions of maximum 50 cm by 35 cm, audio and video propaganda materials broadcast by the audiovisual media, advertising in printed media, online publicity materials, brochures, leaflets, and other printed material.

The candidates can no longer promote themselves via big outdoor banners, meshes, fixed or mobile billboards, advertising flags, advertising screens, luminous advertising, and advertising on vehicles. They are not allowed to organize shows or festivals either.

The candidates are also not permitted to buy, offer or distribute, directly or indirectly, pens, mugs, watches, t-shirts, jackets, raincoats, hats, scarfs, bags, umbrellas, buckets, lighters, matches, food, alcoholic products, cigarettes, or any such products.

This is a major change in Romania, as this kind of products were very popular in the previous electoral campaigns, when candidates were offering people bags with flour, oil and other food products, buckets, umbrellas, hats, pens, and lighters. A member of the Deputies Chamber was recently sentenced to prison for bribing voters with grilled chicken during an elections campaign in 2012.

This year's local elections are scheduled to take place on June 5. In Bucharest, 12 candidates are running for the General Mayor seat. 

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Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com