AustriaThe Austrian Constitutional Court has struck down a 2025 regulation that permitted cabinet staff to manage social media accounts for government members and parties. The court ruled that this practice violated constitutional principles of neutrality and equal opportunity by providing unjustified economic advantages to ruling parties over opposition groups. Although the regulation required content to remain non-partisan, the court determined that access to state resources based solely on government participation was unconstitutional. The Independent Party Transparency Senate has already imposed fines exceeding 400,000 euros for previous violations of these rules. The Audit Office estimated annual costs for social media management in four government offices at up to 220,000 euros, which were levied as penalties against the relevant parties.
Bias read (Center): The report neutrally presents the legal basis of the ruling, cites specific financial data from official audits, and lists affected parties without using loaded language or favoring any political side.
