Transparency and regulation of donations to political parties and electoral campaigns from foreign donors

Recommendation 2208 (2021)

Author(s):

Parliamentary Assembly

Origin

Assembly debate on 24 June 2021 (22nd sitting) (see Doc. 15302, report of the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy, rapporteur: Mr Konstantin Kuhle). Text adopted by the Assembly on 24 June 2021 (22nd sitting).

1. The Parliamentary Assembly refers to Resolution 2390 (2021) “Transparency and regulation of donations to political parties and electoral campaigns from foreign donors”.

2. It recalls that political parties play a key role in the democratic systems of Council of Europe member States and are essential tools for expressing the political will of citizens and for organising political debates and campaigns in a democratic society.

3. Citizens’ confidence in the integrity and independence of the democratic decision-making process, which is of crucial importance in ensuring the acceptance and resilience of democracy, depends, inter alia on the internal functioning of political parties, including their financing and accountability, and the prevention of corruption.

4. The Assembly expresses concern about reported attempts to interfere improperly or illicitly in democratic decision making in member States through financial contributions by foreign States or State-linked entities to political parties and electoral campaigns.

5. In view of the above, the Assembly calls upon the Committee of Ministers to:

5.1 consider carrying out further work in the field of foreign financing of political parties and electoral campaigns, building on relevant existing standards;

5.2 ask the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) to consider focusing on the specific area of foreign financing of political parties and electoral campaigns in its forthcoming evaluation rounds.