Bill on amendments to the Political Parties Act passed the first reading

At today’s sitting of the Riigikogu, the Bill that seeks to regulate the upper limit on donations to political parties in order to reduce the influence of oligarchs in politics passed the first reading.

The Bill on Amendments to the Political Parties Act (to reduce the influence of oligarchy in politics) (752 SE), initiated by the Social Democratic Party Parliamentary Group and Members of the Riigikogu Jaak Aab, Ester Karuse, Andre Hanimägi, Züleyxa Izmailova and Tanel Kiik, passed its first reading. The aim of the Bill is to strengthen the functioning of democracy in Estonia by reducing the influence of an individual or interest group on political parties and their political decisions.

According to the Bill, the upper limit for donations by natural persons will be set at EUR 100,000 per year. Any amount exceeding the membership fee established in the articles of association of the political party will be considered a donation. A ceiling of one million euros will be set on election campaign expenses, and natural and legal persons will be required to disclose the funding sources and content of surveys on political preferences if their cost exceeds EUR 10,000 per year.

According to the explanatory memorandum, the Bill will establish clearer limits for the financing of political parties in order to prevent situations where a political party is financially dependent on individual donors or hidden interest groups that may directly influence the content or direction of political decisions.

During the debate, Urmas Reinsalu (Isamaa), Martin Helme (Estonian Conservative People’s Party), Margit Sutrop (Reform Party) and Tanel Kiik took the floor on behalf of their parliamentary groups.

Verbatim record of the sitting (in Estonian)

Video recording of the sitting will be available on the Riigikogu YouTube channel.

Riigikogu Press Service
Maris Meiessaar
+372 631 6353, +372 5558 3993
[email protected]
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