Finland Times

 

Campaigning for last EU parliamentary polls. Photo - Lehtikuva.

Finnish political parties are gearing up for contesting the upcoming European Union parliamentary elections and have reportedly amassed huge budget for the build-up.

 

However, investigations suggest that there are significant non-uniformity among the amounts that the parties have collected for electioneering.

 

The EU parliamentary polls are scheduled to be held in May next year.

 

While one party allocated €100,000 for the election expenses, some other parties are said to have already spent €500,000 on the same purpose, reported Finnish newspaper Keskisuomalainen.

 

The Suomen Sosialidemokraattinen Puolue (Social Democratic Party - SDP) and Ruotsalainen Kansanpuolue  (Swedish Peoples’ Party in Finland - RKp) allocated the highest amount  of €500,000 each while Kansallinen Kokoomus  (National Coalition Party), the biggest component of the six-party ruling alliance, allocated €400,000 for the elections.

 

The report also said SDP’s debts stood at €1.7m while Kokoomus’s borrowing reached €700,000.

 

Members of the EU Parliament take part in a voting session on October 23, 2013 at the European Parliament in the northeastern French city of Strasbourg. Deputies voted on a draft of next year's EU budget, but discussions on a hugely contentious financial framework for the bloc from 2014 to 2020 have been put back. Photo - AFP/Lehtikuva.

The Kokoomus, however,  intended to repay the debts by the end of this year, said the report.

 

The Vihreä (Green Party) borrowed  €45,000 for the European parliamentary polls in 2011, which had a negative impact resulting in a decline in the number of supporters, said the report, adding that a number of political parties are not in any debt.

 

There is no political party that can have the luxury of not having to borrow for the European parliamentary elections, the report added.

 

The elections will be held from May 22 to May 25 next year.