Parties struggle to interpret new political advertising rules

Estonian political parties are unsure how to comply with new political advertising rules five months before elections, ERR reports. The European Union requirement is intended to make advertising funding more transparent, but parties say it has created uncertainty and extra bureaucracy.

Under the rules, advertisements must identify who commissioned them, what funds were used and who paid. Parties say they support greater transparency but question how the requirements should be applied.

Parempoolsed board member Tõnis Konks said a 10-second radio advertisement could be followed by five to 10 seconds of disclosure stating that it is paid advertising. Reform Party secretary general Kristo Enn Vaga said it was unclear why television advertisements already featuring the party’s people, promises and colours also needed separate audio and visual notices identifying them as political advertising.

Questions are less straightforward when the political content is indirect. Parties have asked the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority whether singer and politician Stig Rästa must tell concert audiences that he is a politician, how opinion articles should be handled and whether pens or flyers need to carry disclosures.

“Unfortunately, it is not possible to cover all of this in one sentence,” said Merike Koppel, deputy director general of the authority. She said politicians distributing items in a public place during a campaign without using a service provider are engaged in internal activity and do not need to label the items. The same applies to pens, flyers and other political merchandise, she said.

The authority does not plan to punish anyone, but potential fines are large and there is little room for mistakes. Isamaa communications manager Viljar Voog said parties and advertising sellers tend to choose the strictest interpretation when rules are unclear to avoid a large fine later.

Parempoolsed, the first party to begin outdoor advertising, has already had to replace its posters once following a notice from the authority.