11/02/2013 Election observation
Strasbourg, 11.02.2013 – On 10 February 2013 Monegasques chose their representatives freely from among three lists of candidates for the National Council of the Principality of Monaco, according to a six-member delegation of observers from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).
The delegation congratulates the electorate on a high turnout (74.55 per cent), which proves the attachment of Monegasques to representative democracy in the Principality of Monaco.
The Office of the Mayor of Monaco, in its capacity as the organiser of elections, has done a commendable job with professionalism, efficiency and transparency during the electoral campaign, in the run-up to the elections and during the vote-counting, the transparency of which was remarkable.
Representatives of all three candidates’ lists expressed their full confidence in the electoral administration.
Overall media coverage of the election campaign was balanced, taking into account that Monaco has only one daily newspaper. All candidates’ lists had equal access to the media.
Elections are not limited only to voting day itself, but cover the whole electoral process including the election campaign. The delegation underlines that the election campaign has been marked by serious tensions. The campaign was tarnished by verbal violence, slander and homophobic insults, as well as a physical assault, personal attacks and scandals.
The delegation of the Assembly regrets that during this campaign, the role and the aim of the Council of Europe were misinterpreted in a way which was exploited during the campaign. This is all the more regrettable in view of the efficient and constructive relations between the Organisation and Monaco since the accession of the Principality to the Council of Europe in 2004.
The delegation also underlines the importance of new rules on financing of the election campaign which reinforced the transparency and fairness of the electoral process. However some further improvements could be made to the law.
The authorities of the Principality of Monaco invited PACE to observe the parliamentary elections, and a delegation visited the Principality from 8 to 11 February 2013. The delegation met with the Minister of State, the Speaker of the National Council, the leaders and representatives of the lists of candidates, the Mayor of Monaco and the Director of Judicial Services, experts from the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the President of the High Commission of Auditors, as well as media representatives.
The delegation wishes to thank the offices of the National Council, the Minister of State and the Mayor of Monaco for their excellent co-operation in the organisation of the observation mission.
The Parliamentary Assembly will consider its report on the parliamentary elections in Monaco on 8 March 2013.
List of members of the delegation:
Piotr Wach (Poland, EPP/CD), Head of the delegation
Anne Brasseur (Luxembourg, ALDE), Rapporteur of the Monitoring Committee
Tuur Elzinga (Netherlands, UEL)
Jonas Gunnarsson (Sweden, SOC)
Olga Kazakova (Russian Federation, EDG)
Marina Schuster (Germany, ALDE)