RTVE seeks legal protection for its top executives ahead of the November 29 election

RTVE has published the tender for a directors and officers liability policy, with coverage of €10 and €20 million and a bid deadline of November 10, three days before the campaign for the November 29 election begins.

The public corporation **RTVE** has made its move on legal protection. Its Economic and Financial Directorate has proposed taking out a new insurance policy intended to "cover the personal liability of directors and senior management for damage caused to third parties as a result of their management duties." The tender, published on the Transparency portal, sets the deadline for submitting bids at **November 10**, three days before the start of the campaign for the general election on **November 29**.

## Two layers of coverage and a policy running until 2026

The contract's justification report details that the new policy will keep the same structure as the current one, whose coverage runs until **December 31, 2026**. The scheme is divided into two layers. The first sets a total compensation limit of **€10 million** for all coverages and extensions combined. The second adds coverage of **€20 million**. In other words, the legal umbrella for the managers of the public broadcaster is structured in two tiers that add up to €30 million on paper, although each layer operates with its own limit.

## The tender timetable and the election date

The deadline expires on **November 10**. Three days later, the campaign for the general election on **November 29** begins. The timing has raised eyebrows, although the tender is part of the routine renewal of an existing policy that does not expire until the end of 2026. The corporation has not linked the tender to the electoral process. According to the published text, the contract is intended to shield the personal liability of those who run the entity against potential third-party claims arising from their management.

## What a directors and officers liability policy covers

This type of insurance, known in the industry as D&O (directors and officers) policies, protects the personal assets of directors against lawsuits over management decisions. It does not cover incivil penalties or fines, but it does cover legal defense costs and any civil compensation that may arise. In RTVE's case, coverage extends to directors and senior management. The tender does not detail the premium the corporation will pay.

The legal protection of top executives is thus secured before the country enters campaign mode. Nothing prevents this kind of insurance from being tendered at any time, but the calendar is the calendar. And at a public company, transparency in contracting is the only way to ensure the calendar does not look like something else.