National Coalition Party discloses election funding sources

Three new benefactors revealed

Taru Tujunen

Heikki Tavela

Peter Fagernäs

Antti Piippo

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The National Coalition Party, which had long kept its sources of revenue a secret, disclosed on Wednesday donations that it had received between 2006 and 2008.
      There were no stunning surprises on the list. The most interesting revelation was that three major businessmen, Heikki Tavela, Peter Fagernäs, and Antti Piippo had served as major patrons of the party in 2007. Tavela had donated EUR 10,000 to the party and Piippo had given EUR 5,000.
      The biggest sponsors of the party’s 2007 election campaign had been disclosed before. They were the TT Foundation, and the financial group Sampo. The TT Foundation of the Confederation of Finnish Industry (EK) donated EUR 150,000 to the party, and Sampo gave EUR 75,000.
      Last year the National Coalition Party received about EUR 80,000 in contributions. Sampo was the biggest single donor, with EUR 50,000. A total of EUR 30,000 came from other benefactors, who were not identified by the party.
     
Party Secretary Taru Tujunen, who is responsible for finances in the National Coalition Party, said that the disclosure was made because of a number of incorrect interpretations that had come out in public.
      “In public debate, donations received by parties and by candidates have been cheerfully confused with each other, leading people to draw erroneous conclusions”, Tujunen says.
     
In the view of Tujunen, the National Coalition Party rose to the forefront of the election finance debate on Saturday when the Finnish News Agency (STT) revealed that the party had received a big donation from the Sampo Group in 2007.
      The money caused a major furore because the state has a 14 per cent holding in the concern, which means that taxpayers’ money might also find its way into the coffers of the party. On the practical level, politicians could have received money from companies whose affairs are affected by decisions made by the same politicians.
      The National Coalition Party now feels that companies in which the state has a majority shareholding should not be allowed to make political donations. However, Tujunen feels that those in which the state a minority shareholder should be allowed to participate in the distribution of subsidies in the future as well.
     
Tujunen feels that the main consequence of the public debate on election finance is that it will be considerably more difficult for individual candidates to find donors for their campaigns. She says that the furore has demonised those who make political donations.
      She adds that if there are no more donations, state support for political parties will rise in importance.
      Tujunen notes that the end of campaign contributions for candidates would not have much of an impact on party finances, as the total amount of outside donations constitutes a minimal part of the total budget of political parties.
     
National Coalition Party Chairman, Minister of Finance Jyrki Katainen said that he mainly hopes that donors will not be frightened away. He also hoped that Finland would not go the way of Sweden, where it is difficult for politicians, journalists, and labour union activists to interact freely.
      Katainen also noted that just two years ago not even journalists would have been interested in the election finance controversy.
      He also said that he hoped that new donors could be found to compensate for the end of contributions from the Sampo Group.
      He nevertheless feels that the election finance controversy has pushed the political system in a more open direction.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Häkämies urges state-owned enterprises to disclose donations to parties (10.8.2009)
  Election funding stir is not manifested in parties’ approval ratings (31.7.2009)
  Big parties downplay impact of possible ban on donations by state-owned companies (12.8.2008)
  Destia also contributed to large political parties (11.8.2009)
  TT Foundation backed at least Centre and National Coalition parties (16.6.2009)

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