Political party funding

The task of the National Audit Office of Finland is to ensure that political parties, entities affiliated with political parties and the associations referred to in party subsidy decisions comply with the legal provisions on the subsidies laid down in the Act on Political Parties, on the disclosure of election campaign funding and expenses, and on the preparation and submission of the documents and information pertaining to the above subsidies and disclosures. The NAOF also oversees the use of the discretionary government grants received by political parties (party subsidies).

In addition to overseeing political party funding, the NAOF also publishes political party funding disclosures that it has received under the Act on Political Parties.

By promoting the transparency of political party funding, the NAOF helps to ensure that citizens are able to assess the ties of political parties.

Under the Act on Political Parties, the NAOF's oversight is targeted only at the overseen entities, which are as follows:

  • ‍registered parties
  • the associations referred to in the government subsidy decisions
  • entities affiliated with political parties.

‍The task of the NAOF is to ensure that all overseen entities submit the disclosures laid down in the law. The agency can audit the overseen entities’ accounting and their use of funds and, if necessary, remind them of their statutory obligations.

The NAOF can also request an overseen entity to fulfil its obligations on pain of a conditional fine. The conditional fine may only be imposed if the overseen entity has not, despite being requested by the NAOF to do so, submitted, corrected or supplemented the required documents or information or determined their correctness and completeness. The breach must also be substantial in terms of its overall importance. The conditional fine is imposed by the Sanctions Board referred to in section 15 of the Act on the National Audit Office (676/2000).Avautuu uuteen välilehteen 

The National Audit Office submits a report to Parliament on the oversight of political party funding each year.

Additional information: