Securing Free and Fair European Elections
by Věra Jourová, European Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality
In May 2019, almost 400 million eligible voters will be invited to the ballot boxes across 27 nations, and, in doing so, participate in one of the world’s largest democratic exercises.
However, the world in which the 2019 European elections will take place is not the world of 2014. We have uncovered serious threats to the integrity of our electoral processes. Today, if we want Europeans to make their political choices in fair, secure and free elections, we must update our election rules to the digital age.
More precisely, we must take action to curb the risks of manipulation and interference, including by foreign actors. We must counter mass online disinformation campaigns, cyberattacks and other misuses of the online environment.
Applying the Data Protection Rules
The Cambridge Analytica scandal showcased the value of our European data protection rules and why they needed strengthening. The 2019 elections will be the first ones to take place under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Everyone involved in elections — national authorities, political parties and private actors — must be aware and understand the meaning of these rules. In order to help stakeholders to apply these rules, we have developed specific guidance highlighting the data protection obligations that are most relevant to the electoral process. Among others, the GDPR confers stronger enforcement powers to national data protection authorities, to help them address infringements of data protection rules.
Next to this, we have called on Member States to apply appropriate sanctions against data protection infringements that sway or attempt to sway the elections. We are also planning to tighten the rules on European political party funding: parties infringing data protection rules could be fined up to 5% of their annual budget. They would also not be eligible for funding
from the general budget of the European Union in the year they are sanctioned.
By addressing data infringements and manipulation directly, we are helping to build the necessary trust in the security and fairness of elections — something that is of benefit to both citizens and political parties.
More Transparency in Online Advertising
As parties increasingly campaign online, the European Commission recommends that all of them, as well as foundations and campaign organisations, do this in a transparent way. Citizens should be able to recognise online adverts that target them in the context of elections and know who is behind them. There should be no hidden or opaque political campaigning in free and fair elections. Rules that apply to offline campaigning — regarding transparency in elections, money spent on political campaigning, silence period before elections etc. — have to apply in the online world as well.
Better Cooperation
Securing free and fair elections across Europe will require tight-knit cooperation among many national authorities and other stakeholders, as well as among the Member States. This is why we encourage each Member State to set up a national election cooperation network of relevant authorities — such as electoral, cybersecurity and data protection authorities — and to appoint a contact point to coordinate at a European level. This will enable authorities to detect potential threats more quickly, to exchange information and best practices, and to ensure a swift and well-coordinated response.
The online world has created unprecedented opportunities for engaging in a political debate and communicating directly with millions of voters. But recent elections and referenda have also shown that it comes with new risks that require specific protection measures.
