News item | 18-10-2022 | 13:55
The Senate has today approved a bill to amend the Political Parties Financing Act (Wfpp). This further increases transparency about the financing of political parties and their subsidiary institutions. In addition, the risk of improper (foreign) influence on our democracy is limited. The amendment will take effect on January 1, 2023.
There will be a ban on gifts from abroad to political parties and their subsidiary institutions. An exception is made by donations from Dutch voters who live abroad. The reason for this is the increased risk of foreign influence on our democracy. Donors will soon be allowed to give gifts of a cumulative maximum of EUR 100,000 per year to political parties and ancillary institutions.
Transparency is further increased because political parties are obliged to report the background of the ultimate beneficial owners of the gifts they receive from legal entities. The threshold for making donations public will also be lowered from 4,500 euros per donor per year to 1,000 euros per donor per year. There will also be a reporting obligation for substantial donations: donations from EUR 10,000 per donor per year must be made public within 3 days of receipt.
Minister Bruins Slot emphasizes the importance of clear rules: “Political parties are one of the pillars of our democracy. That is why it is important to make visible from whom political parties receive money. With the ban on foreign financing, we are also working to prevent undue influence. This contributes to a resilient democracy.”
The amendments to the Wfpp are the result of advice from the Veling Committee and input from the House.