Estonian Mayor Draws Scrutiny Over Extensive Photo Coverage in Local Publications
Tallinn, Estonia – A debate has emerged surrounding the use of taxpayer funds for promotional materials after a complaint was filed regarding the prominence of a local mayor’s image in official publications.
Manuela Pihlap, a member of the Tallinn City Council belonging to the center party, raised concerns about what she perceives as excessive self-promotion by Anna Levand, the district mayor of Haaberst and member of the Isamaa party. Pihlap’s complaint to the Investigative Committee on the Financing of Political Parties (ERJK) highlighted the frequent appearance of Levand’s photograph and name in the Haaberst district newspaper and on the district’s social media accounts.
“[In the October issue of the newspaper "Haaberst,"] there are four pictures of the district mayor Anna Levand (Isamaa) and her name is mentioned 20 times in the texts. There are two pictures of deputy chief -factor Rain Veetõusme (Isamaa) and his name is mentioned three times. In addition, there are coalition politicians in three pictures and they were mentioned by name 11 times. The politicians of the Motherland are in the pictures eight times and their names are mentioned 31 times in the texts. And all this in a 12-page paper," the complaint stated.
The ERJK, Tallinn’s electoral watchdog, concurred that the city’s official social media platforms constitute information channels and therefore should be used responsibly.
The committee emphasized that Tallinn has established media good practices outlining principles for city publications. These principles stress accountability of elected officials to their constituents while prohibiting covert political propaganda or personal promotion within published materials.
"Therefore, the mayor of the district Anna Levand should draw attention to the fact that the use of public money for the personal advertising of a politician is prohibited according to party law, and in this case the good practice of the media a city founded by Tallinn itself is broken," the ERJK stated.
The committee issued a formal memo to Levand regarding the matter, urging her to reconsider the publication practices.
This case highlights the ongoing debate surrounding the use of public resources for political messaging globally, raising questions about transparency and ethical considerations in local governance.
