32. Are there provisions for free or subsidized access to media for political parties?

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Media regulation during the election period The electoral decree establishes "media neutrality" and "equal opportunities among all candidates" as "fundamental principles" to which "the electoral campaign must be submitted". In order to guarantee their application, the ISIE, to whom the decree-law confers the power to fix the rules of the media coverage of the electoral period75, has submitted the media, on the one hand, to the rule of equality of treatment candidates so that each list has the same time of speech and, on the other hand, the prohibition to broadcast political advertising as of September 12, to avoid any form of collusion between candidates and media owners76. This concern for strict equality has also led the ISIE to state in great detail the terms of the official campaign in the public media77: each list had the right to record a three-minute spot in the public television studios, produced according to the same technical format and broadcast once on the nine public broadcasting channels78 between the first and October 21, according to a passage order drawn publicly. In addition, the seven channels of the public broadcasters broadcast, daily and simultaneously, three editions of information on the campaign. Journalists had the right to mention the activities of the lists and candidates, but should not discuss the content of their political programs79. This scheme, also applied to both public television channels, aimed at ensuring strict neutrality.' 

Source EU EOM 2011