Prague, Jan 12 (CTK) – The Czech state paid 32 political parties and movements subsidies worth more than a half billion crowns in 2016, according the information released by the Finance Ministry on Thursday.
The biggest recipients were the senior ruling Social Democrats (CSSD), followed by the opposition Communists (KSCM) and the government ANO movement.
The state paid parties and political movements regular contributions to their activities which derive from the number of lawmakers, senators and regional assembly members, and from the election result in the latest general election.
Since no elections to the Chamber of Deputies and the European Parliament were held last year, parties could not receive the special subsidy which the state pays as a one-off compensation for the election costs depending on the number of the votes gained.
The CSSD got 128.7 million crowns from the state last year. The KSCM received 79.4 million, ANO 68.7 million, the rightist opposition Civic Democrats (ODS) got 60 million, the junior government Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL) 46.2 million, the rightist opposition TOP 09 gained 40.6 million and the opposition Dawn 22 million crowns.
The Green Party, which is not represented in the Chamber of Deputies, got 25.6 million crowns. The sum includes the 2015 contribution, paid out additionally.
The parliamentary Mayors and Independents (STAN) received 11.2 million crowns from the state.
The extra-parliamentary Pirates, the Party of Citizens’ Rights and a number of regional groupings were also entitled to a subsidy.
The state pays parties 855,000 crowns per lawmaker or senator annually and 237,500 for every regional and Prague assembly member.
In addition, parties which gain more than 3 percent of the vote in a general election are entitled to an annual subsidy of six million crowns plus 200,000 crowns per each tenth of a percentage point started.
The parties that gained minimally 5 percent of the vote and entered the Chamber of Deputies gain ten million crowns.
