News item | 13-05-2025 | 17:24
With the new law on the political parties, the government wants to further strengthen the party system in our democratic constitutional state. The law contains rules that political parties must adhere to, for example about transparency and financing. More than € 8 million a year will also be available for local political parties. Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations Judith Uitermark has sent the proposal to the Lower House for this.
Minister Uitermark: “Political parties are an important part of our democracy. People must trust that the political party they give their vote to has the internal matters in order. That means that they are open and transparent about the organization, for example about what donations they receive and how they are organized. These kinds of rules are laid down in this law. And they also get money in the Municipalities, our provinces, and water. nationally as room. ”
Subsidy for local and regional parties
New to the law is the specific attention for decentralized political parties and decentralized departments of national political parties. The aim is that they can do their work even better, this is important because of the growing responsibilities they have.
There is structurally € 8.15 million available for them, the law regulates the payment thereof. For example, the parties can use this to professionalize their organization or organize party meetings. This makes them less dependent on gifts.
There are also rules for them. For example, they must be open about their finances, their debts and the donations they receive. They must publish this data on their own website.
Rules on transparency and financing
The law also states that the parties must provide clarity about how to compile candidate lists and how the party board is elected. In addition, the rules on the financing of parties – now laid down in the Financing of Political Parties – are given a place in the new law.
These rules remain largely the same. However, the prohibition of donations by non-Dutch people is changed to a ban on donations by non-residents. Only people who own Dutch nationality or live in the Netherlands can therefore make a gift.
Furthermore, parties are given more time to report gifts above € 10,000 (10 days), less in election time (1 day). The possibility of donating anonymously also disappears. A new, independent supervisor, the Dutch Authority for Political Parties (NAPP), will supervise the rules. This reinforces the independent position of political parties.
Ban on political parties more specifically
The new law also makes the possibility to prohibit parties more specifically. At present, the judge can prohibit a political party if a party acts contrary to public order – a broad definition that does not apply to political parties specifically, but to each association or foundation.
Instead, the new law makes it possible for a party to be banned when the party seriously threatens the Democratic constitutional state. This may, for example, be the case if a party wants to undo the independence of the judiciary or frustrates elections.
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