Destia also contributed to large political parties

Increasing calls for bans on political contributions by state-owned companies

Hannu Kulju

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The state-owned construction service and infrastructure company Destia has paid about EUR 20,000 in various types of seminar fees to political parties during the past five years.
     The greatest beneficiary has been the Social Democratic party, but Destia has also spent thousands of euros on seminars organised by the Centre Party and the National Coalition Party.
     The company participated in a total of 20 seminars between 2004 and 2009.
     Destia’s acting CEO Hannu Kulju says that a seminar fee will typically be around EUR 1,000.
     
The largest individual seminar fee, according to Kulju, was EUR 2,074, which was paid in June this year to Suomen Kansallismedia - the media company of the National Coalition Party, for two tickets to one of its seminars - the European Economic, Welfare, and Environment Forum.
     Kulju says that Destia will start to redefine its principles linked with party financing in the coming autumn.
      Minister of Defence Jyri Häkämies (Nat. Coalition Party), who is the minister responsible for matters related to state-owned enterprises, has called for complete transparency in contributions to political parties by state-owned companies. Kulju says that he agrees with Häkämies. He also does not feel that political contributions are a problem for state-owned companies.
      “As I see it, this is beneficial activity that is linked with our work. As a big player, Destia needs to know what is happening in the operational environment. If there is an economic seminar, for instance, which touches upon the EU, I feel that it is quite relevant”, Kulju said to Helsingin Sanomat.
     
Majority state-owned companies do not have a common policy line on contributions to political parties.
      Some actually have a strict policy to decline participation in any events with any connection to political parties.
      “Invitations come constantly, but we do not react to them. It is terribly difficult to say why we would go to one, and not another. I have contributed to a political party out of my own pocket”, says Jukka Heinonen, who recently resigned as CEO of the airline Finnair.
      Kemira also has a written rule that “Kemira’s assents must not be used to support political parties”.
      Most state-owned companies reached by Helsingin Sanomat said that they do not support the activities of any political parties.
     
Minister of Justice Tuija Brax (Green) feels that the working group pondering the openness of party financing should take issue with political contributions by state-owned companies.
      She notes that the Group of States Against Corruption (GRECO) has as one of its basic recommendations, that groups under the control of the state, or close to it, should not finance political party activities.
      Green League Chairwoman, Minister of Labour Anni Sinnemäki also feels that at least those companies in which the state has a majority holding, should desist from contributing to political parties.
     
The party secretaries of both the Centre Party and the Social Democratic Party feel that state ownership in a company should prevent, or restrict the company’s possible support for political activities.
      Centre Party Secretary Jarmo Korhonen feels that companies in which the state owns more than 50 per cent of the shares, and public utility companies, should be banned from taking part in party activities, or from financing activities closely related to parties.
      Korhonen also promised to disclose all contributions that his party has received from state-owned companies on Thursday.
      Social Democratic Party Secretary Ari Korhonen issued a statement on Monday calling for a ban on political contributions by state-owned companies, noting that the state supports parties through party subsidies.
      SDP Chairwoman Jutta Urpilainen said on Tuesday tht the party would disclose all party and election donations of more than EUR 2,000 that it received in 2007 and 2008.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Election funding stir is not manifested in parties’ approval ratings (31.7.2009)
  Häkämies urges state-owned enterprises to disclose donations to parties (10.8.2009)

Helsingin Sanomat