Statutory disclosures had not been filed on all external contributions received by political parties and party associations. A large number of retroactive disclosures were filed during the audits.
The Act on Political Parties (10/1969) sets obligations to political parties, party associations and affiliated entities with the aim of promoting transparency: these entities must disclose their election campaign funding and any significant external support they have received and submit to the National Audit Office of Finland (NAOF) their accounting, financial statements and other documents concerning their use of funds.
Each year, the National Audit Office audits political party funding and the government grants awarded to political parties, i.e. party subsidies. In 2024, the NAOF audited 36 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 around EUR 3.6 million were reported during 2024. The overseen entities can also make up-to-date disclosures on financial support received in previous years, and the total for the previous years increased retroactively by around EUR 963,000 as a result of the disclosures filed in 2024.
In 2024, the NAOF targeted audit measures at the agreement procedures and oversight of government grants transferred to another entity and at compliance with the economic sanctions against Russia and Belarus as part of the oversight of government grants. The oversight did not find any procedures that would have been in violation of the law or the terms and conditions of the government grant.
It is stated in the report that party organisations have room for improvement in filing documents under the Act on Political Parties and in disclosing external contributions as well as minor shortcomings in the monitoring and documentation of the use of party subsidies.
The audits of political party funding will continue in autumn 2025.
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