A controversy has arisen in Ettelbruck over election posters, with the Pirate Party taking centre stage by placing their campaign materials on lampposts along the national road.
This move has sparked criticism from Jean-Paul Schaaf, a member of the municipal executive board (Schäfferot) and a legislative election candidate representing the Christian Social People's Party (CSV).
Schaaf voiced his concerns on Facebook, highlighting that the municipal council representing four parties, including CSV, the Democratic Party (DP), the Green Party (déi Gréng), and the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP), unanimously agreed to limit party advertising to nine specified locations within the municipality. Additionally, a specific area near the former cigarette factory at the entrance of Ettelbruck was designated for large campaign posters.
The decision to restrict election posters was prompted by an increase in commercial advertising on lampposts, leading to the municipality banning such posters in their police regulations. The ban was upheld when the issue of election posters arose ahead of the 2023 municipal elections. However, in the 11 June elections, only the four parties that supported the ban participated.
National regulation trumps municipal regulation
The upcoming legislative elections on 8 October feature six more parties in the northern district, including the Alternative Democratic Reform Party (adr), Fokus, the Conservatives, the Left Party (déi Lénk), Liberté-Freedom, and the Pirate Party. Sven Clement, the Pirate Party's lead candidate at the national level, mentioned in a comment on Schaaf's post that his party has a national permit to display advertisements along all state roads.
Schaaf expressed disappointment that the Bridges and Roads Authority issued the permit without consulting local authorities. The municipality reached out to the Ministry of Home Affairs, which indicated that national legislation would likely supersede municipal regulations in this case. While Ettelbruck may still send a letter to express its dissatisfaction with the situation, it is expected that the Pirate Party's posters will remain in place. Allegedly, the Pirate Party has threatened legal action if their posters are removed.
It's anticipated that similar disputes over election posters may arise in various parts of the country leading up to October 8.