Media plan early election updates

SWISS and Belgian media have announced intentions to broadcast early estimates of the polling results during Sunday’s presidential election first round.

The plans have ignited debate over the French rule that says no media can publish any early results from certain polling stations, or exit polls, until 20.00, when all the polling stations have closed.

Brussels-based TV station RTBF plans an election special from 18.30 and says it will broadcast estimates of trends and poll results as soon as it has them.

It says it is not limited by French law and will therefore aim to get information out as soon as possible.

Belgian daily Le Soir also said it is likely to publish early estimates on its website, as did the Swiss website of newspaper 20 Minutes and Radio-Télévision Suisse (RTS), which said it expects to publish internet updates from 17.30 as soon as it has reliable information to put up.

A French blogger reportedly said he plans to publish early estimates on a site hosted in New Zealand. French daily Libération also said it is considering publishing information on its site from 18.30, “if the gaps between the candidates are wide and the sources are reliable”.

Anyone publishing information on the election results in France before 20.00 risks a fine of up to €75,000. A body charged with monitoring this, the Commission des Sondages, said it is going to be especially vigilant this year.

However avocat Etienne Wary told Les Echos the French law could be challenged by the European Court of Justice, should legal action be taken. He said it was no longer appropriate in the age of internet social networks, when news is spread rapidly, and other countries allowed partial results and estimates to be published with no ill effects.

President-candidate Sarkozy has said he is “not shocked” by the developments, “because the world has become a village”. He said on Europe 1: “Everyone knows we have rules that are sometimes dated.”