Prague, April 1 (CTK) – Major Czech parties in parliament had a financial loss in 2016, which was mainly caused by last October’s Senate and regional elections, the sole exception being the rightist opposition Civic Democrats (ODS), it ensues from their annual reports the parties had to present by Saturday.
The ODS had a profit of 8.9 million crowns after tax last year.
The highest loss, 180.2 million crowns, was posted by the senior government Social Democrats (CSSD).
Without the loans which the party took out after a court ordered it to pay 338 million crowns to former lawyer Zdenek Altner, the loss would amount to 61.9 million crowns.
The CSSD spent 114 million crowns on the regional and Senate elections. It got 17.7 million in gifts.
The government ANO movement of Andrej Babis had a loss of 40.4 million crowns last year, including the election spending.
The party owed Babis more than 153 million crowns in an interest-free loan as from the end of last year. One year ago, the debt was 37.5 million crowns.
The KSCM had a loss of almost 9.2 million crowns last year, while in 2015, it had a surplus of 22.2 million. It has 136.1 million crowns on the account of undivided profit.
The biggest revenue was the state subsidy to elections and the party’s activities, which amounted to 79.5 million crowns. The party spent a total of 27.4 million crowns on the elections and 41.9 million on salaries.
The opposition conservative TOP 09 had a loss of some 18 million crowns, which it covered with profits from the previous years. It spent 38.5 million crowns on the election campaign. It gained gifts worth 9.7 million crowns.
The junior government Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL) posted a loss of 985,000 crowns, which it incurred when it paid income tax on the lease of space in its seat, the Charitas Palace in Prague. Before tax, the party’s revenues exceeded expenditures.
The KDU-CSL spent 35.2 million crowns on the election campaign. The party received gifts worth 14.5 million crowns.
The ODS’s surplus was mainly due to austerity measures, its spokeswoman Jana Havelkova said.
The party spent 51.5 million crowns on the elections. It covered almost all expenditures with gifts which amounted to 48.4 million crowns.
The opposition Mayors and Independents (STAN) had a loss of 2.4 million crowns. Gifts accounted for most revenues. Major expenditures went to the elections.
The revenues totalled 43.9 million crowns. Out of them gifts and inheritance were worth almost 32.7 million crowns. Out of the total expenditure of 46 million crowns, 29.5 million crowns were spent on the elections and 16.7 million were overhead costs.
Parties and movements sent their annual financial reports to the Chamber of Deputies for the last time this year. As from next year, they will be controlled by the new Office for supervision of political parties and political movements’ financial management. It was instituted this year and it has its seat in Brno.
($1=25.282 crowns)
