The reporting on political party funding has been inadequate. Statutory disclosures have not been filed on all contributions received by political parties and party associations. After the audits, a large number of retroactive disclosures have been filed, which has improved the transparency of political party funding.
Each year, the National Audit Office of Finland (NAOF) audits political party funding and the government grants awarded to political parties, i.e. party subsidies. In 2023, the NAOF audited 52 party organisations, including all parties represented in Parliament. During the audits, party associations added missing information and corrected their funding disclosures.
The NAOF is also the authority overseeing the government grants awarded to political parties, i.e. party subsidies. It oversees that the political parties use the party subsidies granted to them in accordance with the terms and conditions set in the government grant decision and that they report on the use of the party subsidies in an appropriate manner.
The political parties comply with the funding legislation fairly conscientiously. Contributions totalling approximately EUR 7.1 million were reported during 2023. The overseen entities can also file up-to-date disclosures on financial support received in earlier years, and in 2021 they reported approximately EUR 550,000 million in total as retroactive additions to previous years. A significant number of the retroactive additions to the disclosures resulted from the NAOF’s audits of political party funding.
It is stated in the report that all party organisations could improve the monitoring and documentation of the use of party subsidies. The oversight found shortcomings in agreement practices, government grant accounts, accounting procedures and compliance with the terms of use.
The audits of political party funding will continue in autumn 2024.
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