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The French regulatory authority for audiovisual and digital communication, Arcom, is responsible for ensuring that radio and television stations abide by the provisions of the French law of September 30, 1986, in particular those relating to political plurality.
Learn more about Arcom's mission: protecting political plurality
How Arcom's services are mobilized.
Legislative elections 2024
- Voters are summoned to cast their ballots for the election of 577 deputies to the French National Assembly.
- Voters are summoned on Sunday June 30, 2024, and in the event of a second round, on Sunday July 7, 2024.
- Candidates can submit their candidacies until Sunday June 16, 2024.
- The official election campaign will open at midnight on Monday June 17.
Key points to remember about the 2024 legislative elections.
List of political parties requesting official campaigning rights
The rules laid down by Arcom
Arcom's notice to radio and television services
On Monday June 10, Arcom published its notice concerning the parliamentary elections of June 30 and July 7, 2024 (text available below), which supplements its deliberation of January 4, 2011.
The text applies to all radio and television services, whatever their broadcasting method by any electronic communication process, from Tuesday June 11, 2024 until the day on which the election is won.
It does not apply to services which, exclusively accessible via online public communication, are devoted to the election propaganda of candidates or the political parties and groupings which support them.
The fairness rule for speaking time
Audiovisual media must respect the rule of fairness in speaking time for the 2024 legislative elections. TV channels and radio stations count the speaking time of candidates and their supporters, and grant speaking time that corresponds to their representativeness.
When dealing with national issues, radio and television services ensure that candidates, personalities and the political parties and groupings that support them have fair presentation and access to the airwaves.
When an issue is dealt with in the context of an electoral district concerned by the ballot, broadcasters ensure that political parties and groups presenting candidates and their supporters benefit from equitable presentation and access to the airwaves.
In assessing compliance with the principle of fairness, Arcom takes into account :
- the representativeness of candidates, assessed, in particular, on the basis of the results obtained in the last election of deputies to the French National Assembly and in the most recent elections by the candidates or by the political parties and groupings supporting them;
- the results of opinion polls;
- the contribution of each of the candidates and the political parties or groupings that support them tothe electoral debate.
All about the speaking time rules for the 2024 legislative elections.
As of 6 a.m. on June 11, 2024, TV channels and radio stations must count the speaking time of candidates and their supporters in the legislative elections, and grant them speaking time that corresponds to their representativeness.
To assess compliance with the principle of fairness, Arcom may take into account :
- the results obtained in the last election of deputies to the French National Assembly and in the most recent elections.
- Opinion polls.
- The contribution of each candidate and their supporters to the electoral debate.
If the subject covered concerns a local constituency?
When a channel or radio station deals with a candidate from an electoral district, it must ensure that other candidates and their supporters have fair presentation and access to the airwaves.
What about digital?
Arcom has issued recommendations for online platforms. What's at stake? To fight the risks of online disinformation during election periods, while taking into account the specificities of French electoral law.
Find out more about plurality and digital regulation at arcom.fr.
Transmission and publication of intervention reports
The television and radio services designated by Arcom's notice transmit electronically to the Authority the breakdown of the speaking times of candidates, political parties and groupings and their supporters recorded in their programs.
The data will be transmitted on the following dates:
1st round of voting :
- Period recorded from June 11 to 16 - Transmission date June 17.
- Period surveyed from June 11 to 19 - Date of transmission June 20.
- Period surveyed from June 11 to 23 - Date of transmission June 24.
- Period surveyed from June 11 to 25 - Date of transmission June 26.
- Period surveyed from June 11 to 28 (in French Polynesia, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Saint-Barthélemy, Saint-Martin, Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, from June 11 to 27, 2024) - Transmission date: July 1.
2nd round of voting :
- Period recorded from July 1 to 5 (in French Polynesia, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Saint-Barthélemy, Saint-Martin, Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, from June 30 to July 4, 2024) - Transmission date: July 8.
Browse statements of speaking times
Conditions for the production, programming and diffusion of election campaign broadcasts
On Friday June 14, Arcom published a decision on the conditions for the production, programming and diffusion of election campaign broadcasts for the legislative elections of June 30 and July 7, 2024.
Duration, number, dates and running order of official campaign broadcasts
On Tuesday June 18 and Thursday June 20, Arcom published three decisions concerning the duration, number, dates and running order of official campaign broadcasts for the parliamentary elections on June 30 and July 7, 2024.
- Arcom decision of June 18 setting the duration and number of official campaign broadcasts (first fraction).
- Arcom decision of June 20 setting the duration and number of broadcasts for the official campaign.
- Arcom decision of June 20 setting the dates and running order of official campaign broadcasts.
Fighting information manipulation on online platforms
Online platforms are summoned to continue taking into account the recommendations published by Arcom on May 23 ahead of the European elections, which focus on mitigating specific or amplified risks during election periods.
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Content shown on online platforms
Arcom points out that article L. 49 of the French Electoral Code prohibits the diffusion or broadcasting of any message having the character of election propaganda by any means of communication to the public by electronic means, including any online publication that does not fall within the scope of private correspondence.
In an opinion published on April 22, 2022, the Commission nationale de contrôle de la campagne électorale en vue de l'élection présidentielle (CNCCEP) specified that the period of electoral silence provided for in Article L. 49 of the French Electoral Code applies to candidates and their supporters, such as public authorities and private individuals, as well as to "influencers" and media outlets showing their messages electronically, in particular on online platforms and social networks(browse the CNCCEP press release).
In this manager, messages of an electoral propaganda nature shown online during the period of electoral silence constitute unlawful content which, regardless of the user responsible for its diffusion, can be reported to the platforms using the reporting tool they are generally required to set up for this purpose. Unlawful content reported to them must be revoked by the platforms. Information on the main platforms' reporting tools is available here.
Messages carrying election propaganda in breach of Article L. 49 of the French Electoral Code may also be reported via the official PHAROS portal of the French Anti-Cybercrime Office (OFAC).