The decision of the Electoral Commission of Aragon called for the immediate removal of an institutional publication on social networks and pointed to the need to respect the rules of neutrality in the period before the election. According to the media, this intervention by the electoral body came after a complaint from the Popular Party of Aragon, which warned of possible partisan use of public resources through institutional communications spread by the government delegation on the social network X, formerly known as Twitter.
As published by the source, the message of the delegation of the Government of Aragon was published on Monday, December 15 and, under the motto “Commitment to Aragon in numbers”, contained information related to governance in the Autonomous Community. The content related to key figures such as pension figures, employment, permanent contracts, social assistance, minimum wage, minimum income and beneficiaries of the electricity social bonus, visually accompanied by the regional flag. According to the media, the public dissemination of this data coincided with the period before the regional elections, which led to a formal complaint from the People’s Party.
According to the media, the opposition party argued that the format, message and prominent placement of the post on the social network were then reviewing the case to determine the scope and possible impact of the publication on the free will of citizens.
The analysis carried out by the electoral body concluded that the content could lead to confusion between the boundaries between information of general interest and political propaganda, aspects that are strictly regulated during the electoral process. In addition, the Board considered that the publication’s presence and visibility on the networks could have a direct impact on the electorate at a crucial time in the regional calendar. For this reason, according to media reports, he ordered the immediate suppression of the institutional message.
The action of the Electoral Commission of Aragon took place, as the source reports, in the context of the election campaign in Extremadura and after the call for regional elections in Aragon, a decision taken by Jorge Azcón, the President of the Community. On the same day, President Pedro Sánchez made a public appearance in which he presented a government report and highlighted the leadership of the central executive in Aragon. Following these statements, the Central Electoral Committee opened a file against Sánchez, considering that his statements could constitute a violation of electoral regulations regarding institutional neutrality.
According to the media, upon receiving the decision from the Aragon Electoral Commission, the government delegation immediately complied with the order and removed the publication from its official channels. Compliance with this Directive reflects strict adherence to the recommendations of the Regulatory Authority and underlines the commitment of public institutions to avoid practices that could interfere with the free development of electoral processes.
The media also stated that in the past the electoral board of Aragon intervened in complaints about the direct or indirect use of official channels to spread messages that were perceived as partisan advertising. These measures are reinforced in the digital environment due to the high visibility and potential impact of social networks on public opinion during election campaigns.
The intervention of the electoral authorities in this case reinforces the constant vigilance regarding the limits of institutional communication, especially given the blurred line between informing citizens and promoting a particular administration or party in the context of elections, the published source says. The episode highlights the importance of public organizations treating data of general interest strictly and transparently and avoiding actions that could raise doubts about the impartiality in the use of institutional resources.
The media emphasized that the application of electoral rules in the digital age requires adapting traditional criteria to the dynamics of social platforms, where immediacy and visual format can multiply the reach and impact of any message issued by official organizations. For this reason, the decisions of bodies such as the Electoral Commission are aimed at protecting the democratic process and ensuring that information disseminated through institutional channels does not unduly influence voters’ decisions.
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