Electoral board orders ministry to pull reform propaganda video

The Central Electoral Board on Thursday told the Popular Party (PP) government that it must remove an informative video from the internet concerning its labor reform. The board felt that it constituted prohibited campaign propaganda.

The government of Mariano Rajoy had wanted to answer the union leaders’ call for a March 29 national strike with the video explaining what the labor reform entailed to Spaniards.

But election officials ruled that the video contains “allusions” to “goals achieved” by the government and cannot be used during the official campaign period leading up to Sunday’s regional ballots in Andalusia and Asturias. The board said this type of campaign material is prohibited by law.

Government officials said that it took the video down from the Labor Ministry website on Thursday. The board said it can be reposted after the elections.

Labor Ministry sources said that the government’s intentions were to make the video available between now and the strike date. But now, the sources say, the government will comply with the Central Election Board and repost it after the elections.

In the video, government officials do not mention the possible job losses the labor reform may generate, but show Rajoy at PP headquarters talking about social dialogue — an image that has upset both the CCOO and UGT unions.