ABSTRACT

Since the democratic transition, anomalies in party and campaign financing in Hungary have been undermining the quality of democracy over election cycles and decades. One of the most troublesome aspects of inadequate regulation is the lax rules on party financial reporting, which do not allow us to get a full picture of party finances. In our study, we will attempt to provide a regional perspective on the legal framework of party financial reporting in the region’s states, thus holding up a mirror to the Hungarian party law. After examining the requirements of financial reporting in 11 states in the Central and Eastern European region, we conclude that the Hungarian statutory scheme is the most outdated and the least transparent: Hungarian parties share as little financial information as possible with the public and do it in a very outdated way.

KEYWORDS

parties | transparency | financial reporting | party funding
| East-Central Europe

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Casal Bértoa, Fernando – Deegan-Krause, Kevin – Učen, Peter (2014): Limits of regulation: party law and finance in Slovakia 1990–2012. In: East European Politics. 2014/3. sz.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/21599165.2014.933412.

Ciechanowska, Justyna – Szwed, Katarzyna (2017): Finansowanie partii politycznych w Republice Estonii. In: Przegląd Prawa Konstytucyjnego. 2017/4. sz.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15804/ppk.2017.04.07.

Cigane, Lolita (2022): Political Finance in the Digital Age: A Case Study of Latvia. International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance. (Elérhető: https://www.idea.int/sites/default/files/political-finance-in-the-digital-age-case-study-latvia.pdf. Letöltés ideje: 2023. december 15.).

Císař, Ondřej − Tomáš, Petr (2007): Party Funding in the Czech Republic. In: Smilov, Daniel − Toplak, Jurij (eds.): Political Finance and Corruption in Eastern Europe: The Transition Period. Ashgate, Aldershot.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315601182-4.

Enyedi Zsolt (2007): Party Funding in Hungary. In: Smilov, Daniel − Toplak, Jurij (eds.): Political Finance and Corruption in Eastern Europe: The Transition Period. Ashgate, Aldershot.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315601182-5.

Fink-Hafner, Danica (2001): Politične stranke. Fakulteta za družbene vede, Ljubljana.

Gwóźdź, Tomasz – Kołodziej, Dominik (2023): Kontrola finansowania partii politycznych wykonywana przez Państwową Komisję Wyborczą. In: Studia Wyborcze. 2023/1. sz.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.26485/SW/2023/35/5.

Hack Péter – Juhász Gábor – Vajda Éva: Pártfinanszírozás. In: Fundamentum. 2010/3. sz.

Horváth Anett – Nagy Milán (2020): A hazai kampányfinanszírozás és a pártok pénzügyi ellenőrzésének anomáliái. In: Jog–Állam–Politika. 2020/1. sz.

Horváth Balázs (2011): A pártok működésének, gazdálkodásának és a kampányfinanszírozásnak a szabályai a számvevőszéki ellenőrzések tükrében (konferencia-előadás). (Elérhető: https://www.asz.hu/storage/%20files/files/Publikaciok/Horvath_Balazs/partfinanszirozas.pdf?download=true. Letöltés ideje: 2023. december 10.).

Ikstens, Jānis (2008): Latvia: Disclosure yet Abuse, Volatility yet Stability. In: Roper, Steven D. – Ikstens, Jānis (eds.): Public Finance and Post-Communist party Development. Routledge, Abingdon–New York.

Kelemen F. Balázs – Tököli László (2011): Átláthatóság és elszámoltathatóság a pártfinanszírozásban (Konferencia-összefoglaló). In: Pénzügyi Szemle. 2011/4. sz.

Kostadinova, Tatiana (2008): Bulgaria: Three Finance Regimes and Their Implications. In: Roper, Steven D. – Ikstens, Jānis (eds.): Public Finance and Post-Communist party Development. Routledge, Abingdon–New York.

Kregar, Josip – Gardašević, Djordje – Gotovac, Viktor (2007): Party and Campaign Finance in Croatia. In: Smilov, Daniel – Toplak, Jurij (eds.): Political Finance and Corruption in Eastern Europe: The Transition Period. Ashgate, Aldershot.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315601182-3.

Lewis, Paul G. (2000): Political Parties in Post-Communist Eastern Europe. Routledge, London–New York.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203183380.

Linek, Lukáš – Outlý, Jan (2008): Czech Republic: Is it Possible to Buy Political Stability? In: Roper, Steven D. – Ikstens, Jānis (eds.): Public Finance and Post-Communist party Development. Routledge, Abingdon–New York.

Manolov, Georgi L. (2013): Političeskijat pazar i partijnoto finansirane v Bǎlgarija. In: Godišnik na UNSS. 2013/1. sz.

Mataković, Hrvoje (2011): Transparency in Funding of Political Parties Croatia 2011. Transparency International Croatia, Zagreb.

Matiuța, Cristina (2017): Finanțele partidelor din România: între dependența de stat și delapidarea lui. In: Sfera Politicii. 2017/3–4. sz.

OECD (2016): Financing Democracy: Funding of Political Parties and Election Campaigns and the Risk of Policy Capture, OECD Public Governance Reviews. OECD Publishing, Paris.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264249455-en.

Rada, Constantin (2019): Finanțarea partidelor politice: tendințe și orientări naționale și europene. In: Revista Română de Studii Electorale. 2019/1–2. sz.

Roper, Steven D. – Moraru, Adrian – Iorga, Elena (2008): Romania: The Secondary Influence of Public Finance on the Party System. In: Roper, Steven D. – Ikstens, Jānis (eds.): Public Finance and Post-Communist party Development. Routledge, Abingdon–New York.

Rybář, Marek (2011): Financovanie politických strán na Slovensku: slabiny a odporúčania na zmenu (CESI UK Policy Paper 4/2011). (Elérhető: https://fphil.uniba.sk/fileadmin/fif/veda/centra_ex_akad_siete/cesiuk/politicka_dimenzia/CESIUK_PP_Rybar.pdf. Letöltés ideje: 2024. január 10.).

Sikk, Allan – Kangur, Riho (2008): Estonia: The Increasing Costs and Weak Oversight of Party Finance. In: Roper, Steven D. – Ikstens, Jānis (eds.): Public Finance and Post-Communist party Development. Routledge, Abingdon–New York.

Šimíček, Vojtěch (1997): Vybrané otázky financování politických stran v ČR. In: Politologický časopis. 1997/4. sz.

Simonaitytė, Vitalija – Jankauskaitė, Vaida (2016): Kas finansuoja politines partijas Lietuvoje: politinio finansavimo kaitos analizė partijų santykių su visuomene ir valstybe kontekste. In: Viešoji politika ir administravimas/Public Policy and Administration. 2016/1. sz.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ppaa.15.1.14701.

Szávai Tamás (2001): Pártpénzek és kampánypénzek. In: Politikatudományi Szemle. 2001/4. sz.

Toplak, Jurij (2007): Party Funding in Slovenia. In: Smilov, Daniel – Toplak, Jurij (eds.): Political Finance and Corruption in Eastern Europe: The Transition Period. Ashgate, Aldershot.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315601182-10.

Transparency International (2007): Corruption Risks in Hungary – Part One (National Integrity System Country Study). (Elérhető: https://transparency.hu/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Summary-Report-NIS-2007.pdf. Letöltés ideje: 2023. december 15.).

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/2210-7975_hrd-9705-0022.

Unikaitė, Ingrida (2008): Lithuania: Political Finance Regulations as a Tool of Political Manipulation. In: Roper, Steven D. – Ikstens, Jānis (eds.): Public Finance and Post-Communist party Development. Routledge, Abingdon–New York.

Walecki, Marcin (2007): Political Finance in Poland. In: Smilov, Daniel – Toplak, Jurij (eds.): Political Finance and Corruption in Eastern Europe: The Transition Period. Ashgate, Aldershot.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315601182-7

Wolfs, Wouter (2023): The State of Digital Disclosure of Political Finance in Europe. International IDEA, Stockholm.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.31752/idea.2023.33

^[1]  A tanulmány elkészítéséhez nyújtott segítségéért köszönetünket fejezzük ki a következő külföldi szakértőknek:

Diana Daubarė, Legfelsőbb Választási Bizottság (Litvánia)

Tomasz Gwóźdź, Sziléziai Egyetem (Lengyelország)

Viktors Laizāns, Korrupciómegelőzési és Korrupcióellenes Iroda (Lettország)

Zoja Masso, Pártok Finanszírozását Felügyelő Bizottság (Észtország).