MPs' statements on campaign financing reveal little on origin of contributions

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Most of Finland's Members of Parliament give very scant information on the sources of funding for their election campaigns. In their mandatory accounting of their campaign spending, many MPs only briefly summarise the sources of their campaign budgets, and few identify individual donors by name.
      The standard practice is for the money to be channelled through a support organisation or party association. The actual origin of the money is usually kept hidden, even though the law would require that the donors should be itemised.
      Arto Jääskeläinen of the Ministry of Justice admits that today's very general reports do not reveal much about possible linkages of those who have been elected to Parliament.
      "The reports might be formally correct, but they certainly do not correspond to what this process is aimed at", he says.
     
For instance, Centre Party MP Timo Kalli reports that he got nearly all of the EUR 59,756 in financing for his campaign from a regional association, which donated EUR 56,892.
      The origins of the money are not explained in any detail, but Kalli says that much of it came from an art sale, as well as seminar fees. "Now that there is not necessarily any requirement to give any more detail, then why should I go and report on people's private matters?" Kalli asks.
      Jääskeläinen feels that all reports on campaign spending should make specific mention if there are no donations that exceed EUR 1,700.
      Dr. Antti Pihlajamäki, vice chairman of Transparency International Finland, says that a fine would be appropriate for those who neglect their obligation to report financing.
     
There was great variation in the financial support given by political parties to their individual candidates. National Coalition Party Chairman Jyrki Katainen got EUR 29,000 from his party, while Marjo Matikainen-Kallström got only EUR 3,500. Two other National Coalition Party MPs, Jyri Häkämies and Kimmo Sasi, did not get a cent.
      Although they are not require by law to do so, about ten Members of Parliament gave declarations on what they had spent their money on.
      One such was Tuulikki Ukkola (Nat. Coalition). "It was my obligation toward the voters. After all, they have to know that the huge sum of money was not spent on groceries", she said.
      Some spent large amounts of their own money on their campaigns. Sanna Lauslahti (Nat. Coalition Party) said that she had spent more than EUR 60,000 of her own savings, while Pekka Haavisto (Green) used more than EUR 44,000 of his money. Pentti Tiusanen (Left Alliance) dipped into his personal funds to the tune of EUR 40,700.
     
Some financed their campaigns with sizeable loans. Tuula Peltonen (SDP) reported borrowing EUR 22,000 and Jaakko Laakso (Left) took a loan for EUR 13,000.
      Revenue from seminars is reported in different ways. Opposition Social Democratic Party chairman Eero Heinäluoma says that he got EUR 53,000 from a seminar. Part of the money came from corporations, and part from organisations.
      Local and national workers' organisations are important sources of income for Parliamentarians of the Left Alliance and the Social Democrats.
     
The government parties and the main opposition party, the Social Democrats, have indicated readiness to implement legislation calling for more openness in election campaign financing. Minister of Justice Tuija Brax (Green) wants the changes to come into force by the next Parliamentary elections in 2011.


Links:
  Links to MPs´ reports on campaign financing (in Finnish)

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