Home > 2.5 Election campaign > Report on freedom of expression, prohibition of hate speech and promotion of pluralism in the context of electoral campaigns
 
 
 
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Election campaigns constitute a moment of maximum expression of democratic pluralism and political participation, in which the various institutional and party actors express proposals, values and priorities for action. By their very nature, election campaigns represent the privileged context of political communication and the formation of public opinion. It is in this forum that policy proposals are made, and the priorities of the competing political forces are defined. As reminded by the Code of good practice in electoral matters, “[d]emocratic elections are not possible without respect for human rights, in particular freedom of expression and of the press, freedom of circulation inside the country, freedom of assembly and freedom of association for political purposes, including the creation of political parties”. The 1990 OSCE Copenhagen Document also proclaims the necessity for full respect of fundamental freedoms.