Sources of political party financing remain hidden in Finland

Transparency Finland leader laments "preposterous situation"

print this

Sources of financing of Finnish political parties are likely to remain in the dark, because Finnish parties are not required by law to disclose the sources of funding for their political campaigns.
      The chairman of Transparency Finland, Dr. Antti Pihlajamäki, feels that the transparency of Finnish campaign financing needs to be increased; in his view, parties need to disclose the sources of their funding.
      Transparency Finland is the Finnish chapter of Transparency International, an independent, non-partisan NGO that monitors and researches corruption around the world. A few years ago, the organisation issued a report criticising Finland for hiding campaign financing; the openness of the Finnish system was put on a par with Bulgaria, Turkey, and Belarus.
     
According to Pihlajamäki, the situation is preposterous. Although Finland is seen to be one of the leading countries in matters of openness and public access to information, parties are not required to disclose the sources of their revenue.
      "Parties excercise considerable public influence. However, there is much closer scrutiny of benefits enjoyed by civil servants, because offering and accepting inappropriate benefits is criminalised under the law."
      Dr. Pihlajamäki feels that the obscurity of the sources of finance erodes the credibility of politics, and increases suspicion of wrongdoing.
      He nevertheless does not feel that there are any great bombshells lurking in Finnish campaign financing. "However, in principle, it is possible that supporters of nuclear energy, for instance, might entice parties onto their side with financial incentives."
     
Parties are required to report to the Ministry of Justice how much money they use for campaign financing, and what the funds consist of. However, the itemisation is on a very general level, and does not reveal the actual sources, as the law does not require such deep disclosure.
      Parties also submit their annual accounts to the ministry, in which the sources of cash flow are not itemised.
      Pihlajamäki feels that parties should be required to submit more detailed accounts of election spending. He also feels that more detailed information would be needed in the annual closing of accounts. He says that no new legislation would be needed, if the parties themselves would be able to agree on a more open practice.
      However, in his view, those who violate the rules that have been agreed upon should be subject to significant penalties. Another good move in his view would be to make it a crime to bribe candidates for office, as is the case in many European countries.
      In Finland, bribing a Member of Parliament in office has been a crime since 2002.
     
The Green League says that if asked, it will disclose the identities of all donors to its election campaign who give more than EUR 1,000. Green Party Secretary Ari Heikkinen feels that other parties should also disclose the names of their largest supporters.
      "It would be important for overall transparency", he notes, saying that such help rarely has no strings attached.
      Heikkinen says that Finnish parties should agree on the matter in the next government formation talks. He feels that the rule should apply to "four-figure sums", but not to smaller donations by private citizens.
      Arto Jääskeläinen at the Ministry of Justice believes that tougher rules on disclosure of campaign financing could lead to problems.
      "Parties might find it more difficult to raise funds if corporations, for instance, would not make donations. It is important from the point of view of the public interest, that voters learn about the alternatives and views put forward by the different parties. Sufficient funding makes this possible", he says.
      The Finnish political parties expect to spend roughly EUR six million for their parliamentary election campaigns. A considerable portion of this, EUR 2.5 million in all, comes from the government party subsidies.


Links:
  Transparency Finland

Helsingin Sanomat