"Warm" money in party coffers

“Warm” money will flow into party coffers in view of elections after passing an amendment which releases installments of regular state funding of 28.9 million, a figure expected to rise due to the special election and financial support for parties, the amount of which will be fixed on Wednesday.

Specifically, protothema.gr reveals the Interior Ministry’s document which shows the distribution of state financial support to parties for the first quarter of 2012, amounting to 7,720.000 euros. The lion’s share goes to PASOK and ND, as the sum of their dividends rises to 5.5 million.

It should be noted that under the amendment passed on Monday in the House Assembly, the 4th installment of 2011 amounting to 13.5 million passed, as well as the two first installments of 2012, 7.7million each.

Furthermore, it is worth noting that the amount each party is entitled to is calculated based on the percentage received in the elections. Despite the fact that the elections next May will overturn rates and will probably integrate in the financing process new recipient part distribution by the end of the year, this is not going to change because under the relevant law, “the regular funding is granted for the time accounting for the year after the general elections, until the year of the next respective elections”.

Furthermore, political parties are entitled by law to receive emergency funding for the elections. The maximum total amount to be awarded is equal to 0.22 per thousand of the current ordinary income each time, while the exact amount is determined by committee! This way of calculating brings forth an extra flagrant injustice as it shows that parties are by law entitled to more money than they had been entitled to for the 2009 elections. In essence, it is proven that the harsher the Greek people’s sacrifices because of wage and pension cuts, the greater the amount that can flow into party coffers!

Note that for the 2009 elections, parties received a maximum amount of about 8 million (each) while the upcoming ceiling stands at 11.9 million…