Party donations: Centre raises most donations in 2019
The prime minister's Centre Party raised the most monetary donations both in the fourth quarter and in all of 2019. Of parliamentary parties, the Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE) received the least donations.
State budgetary funds — which totaled in excess of €5.4 million last year — continue to account for the largest portion of political parties' income. While the allocation of these funds is based on election results, parties themselves are responsible for attracting monetary donations.
In the fourth quarter of 2019, the coalition Centre Party earned the most in donations — a total of nearly €98,000 was donated to the prime minister's party. The coalition Isamaa followed with nearly €43,000, the opposition Reform Party with nearly €27,000 and the opposition Social Democratic Party (SDE) with nearly €25,000. The coalition EKRE received the least donations of all parliamentary parties at just over €13,000.
Fourth quarter donations to non-parliamentary parties ranged from €39 to the Free Party to €3,434 to the Estonian Greens.
€3.5 million in 2019
A total of over €3.5 million in donations were made to Estonian political parties in 2019, a year which included Riigikogu elections in March and European Parliament elections in May.
The Centre Party topped party donation rankings for the year as well, receiving a total of over €843,000 last year.
Isamaa came in second with nearly €764,000 and Reform in third with nearly €690,000.
The SDE drummed up €466,000 in donations last year, while EKRE came in last of parliamentary parties with just over €150,000 in donations.
Of non-parliamentary parties, Estonia 200 earned nearly €393,000, the Richness of Life Party nearly €113,000, Estonian Greens nearly €83,000 and the Free Party nearly €12,000 in donations last year.
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Editor: Aili Vahtla