This text covers the controversy surrounding installation of dozens of election banners featuring Alicante mayor and PP re-election candidate Luis Barcala. The banners, hung from electricity poles on major city streets such as Juan Bautista Lafora, La Cantera, La Isleta, and other locations, have prompted calls for immediate removal. Critics argue the banners violate the General Election Regime (Loreg) Establishment Act because the city did not offer free, non-exclusive space for all parties to display material.
In a decision made this Sunday, the Alicante District Election Board upheld a complaint filed by the PSOE. The board found that Barcala’s banners on power poles breach Article 55 of Loreg, which states that city councils must designate spaces free of charge for posters and banners on public poles or, when applicable, use a standard poster system. The provision further clarifies that political propaganda may only be placed in spaces set aside by city authorities, and that parties, coalitions, federations, and candidatures may only use permitted commercial spaces for additional advertising. The election board’s ruling, which ordered removal of the banners, also noted a dissenting, non-judicial member’s reference to a 2019 decision that reportedly dismissed a similar complaint.
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Advertising spaces on Alicante’s streetlamps are operated by a private concessionaire that does not provide new space for this election cycle. The concessionaire contends that these lampposts are used only for the purposes described in the contract and are not designated as electoral zones. The PSOE confirmed to the City Council that municipal lighting poles bear no special concession for campaign advertising beyond what the contract allows. The concessionaire indicated that placing such advertisements falls under a corporate advertising program, with rates set by the operator. Interested campaigns are advised to contact the concessionaire directly. The contract for pole advertising was awarded three months prior to this election cycle by the Alicante City Council Executive Board.
According to official documents, the contract for using streetlights for advertising aims to organize private advertising within public space in a way that respects the public interest and municipal property. The current spaces host campaigns for Europe Day, a recent paddle tennis event at the Technification Center, and upcoming activities such as a paddle tennis tournament and a wine-tasting day. These campaigns are framed as part of the city’s broader municipal advertising program, rather than as a specific electoral display.
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To request use of electricity poles for advertising, a municipality report is required in advance. The concession holder must obtain City Council approval regarding the public or social interest of the requesting organization. The process involves an assessment of occupancy and the cost borne by the entity requesting space. The administration retains the power to order immediate removal of any banners deemed inappropriate or incongruent with public requirements.
The supporters of Barcala argue that the election board must have approved the posters under the same standards that govern other public advertising. They claim the council did not unreasonably restrict the banners and that the concessionaire had the authority to permit or deny placement under the contract terms.
There were reports that PSOE representatives contacted the concessionaire to discuss a per-lamp pricing point, reportedly capped at 100 euros under the contract terms. Following the election board’s decision, the Socialist Party stated it would push for public disclosure of the contract with the company operating the streetlight advertising concession, since only corporate advertisements are allowed under the agreement.
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Meanwhile, the District Election Board rejected United’s challenge regarding the unofficial opening of lifeboat displays on San Juan beach on the first day of the campaign. The board stated that while there was no documentary accreditation for the alleged activity, a request to perform a service during election periods is not automatically illegal if justified by public service necessity. The decision emphasized that such actions are not inherently electoral demonstrations under Loreg’s rules, though it acknowledged the need to adhere to statutory guidelines during the 50th anniversary of Loreg.