TT Foundation backed at least Centre and National Coalition parties

Johannes Koroma

Taru Tujunen

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The TT Foundation of the Confederation of Finnish Industry (EK) provided financial backing to at least the Centre Party and the National Coalition Party in the 2007 Parliamentary elections.
      The Centre disclosed on Monday that it had accepted EUR 150,000 from the TT Foundation. The National Coalition Party would not reveal how much money it got from the foundation.
      TT Foundation Spokesman Johannes Koroma says that the foundation has donated money to promote training in financial policy, when parties have asked for it.
      However, he would not disclose the amounts of money involved.
     
A round of calls to party secretaries revealed that the National Coalition Party was the only party in addition to the Centre that got the support.
      National Coalition Party secretary Taru Tujunen had little to say about the matter.
      “We have received money from the TT Foundation, but we do not plan to disclose the exact amount. The National Coalition Party operates as the law requires and we have nothing to fear. I do not want to make any further comment”, Tujunen said.
     
On Monday evening Helsingin Sanomat reached the party secretaries of the Green League, the Swedish People’s Party, the Social Democratic Party, the Left Alliance, and the Christian Democrats, all of whom said that their parties had not received funding from the TT Foundation.
      Koroma says that there may be inaccurate information in the statements.
      “It is a good idea to maintain small reservations in these matters.”
      Koroma would not further comment on the matter.
     
The TT Foundation was established in 2005 when the Confederation of Finnish Industry and Employers (TT) merged with the Employers' Confederation of Service Industries (PT) to form the Confederation of Finnish Industry (EK).
      The foundation reports distributing about EUR 4 million in assistance each year.
      A significant proportion of the money has been granted for research projects of the Research Institute of the Finnish Economy (ETLA).


See also:
  Centre Party gets extensive funding from business (16.6.2009)

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