SVP and FDP invested the most in their 2023 election campaigns
Published: Friday, Jan 19th 2024, 11:10
Updated At: Friday, Jan 19th 2024, 11:10
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Parties, organizations and candidates declared almost CHF 55 million in expenditure on their campaigns in the run-up to last autumn's national elections. The largest single campaign was that of the SVP Switzerland. The FDP disclosed the highest income.
Political funding is subject to new transparency regulations at federal level. Budgets of CHF 50,000 or more and large donations of CHF 15,000 or more must be reported. On Friday, the Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO) published the definitively reported income from the 2023 federal elections and a list of the actors monitored in the course of the election campaign.
Blocher was the largest single donor
A total of 277 final invoices amounting to CHF 54.6 million were reported for the National Council elections. The largest single campaign was that of the SVP Switzerland. It cost CHF 4.6 million and included an election newspaper distributed to all households.
At CHF 12.9 million, the FDP disclosed the highest total of income subject to disclosure, ahead of the SVP with CHF 11.6 million. It was followed by the SP with CHF 7.7 million and the Center Party with CHF 6.9 million. The Greens reported total income of CHF 3.7 million and the Green Liberals CHF 3.3 million. The EPP invested CHF 1.4 million in its election campaign.
The largest single donor at national level was former Federal Councillor Christoph Blocher. The thought leader donated CHF 550,000 to "his" SVP, as can be seen from the SFAO database. Blocher made his donation known in advance.
"Reliable information"
The SFAO drew an initial positive conclusion about the new transparency regulations for political financing. Compared to the budget figures submitted, there was only a small deviation.
Before the National Council elections, 1.4 percent less revenue was declared than was subsequently shown in the final accounts. "The electorate was therefore able to rely on reliable information in the budget assumptions submitted before the ballot," said the auditors.
The SFAO carried out in-depth spot checks on 24 campaigns with a revenue volume of CHF 17.1 million. "The inspections showed a high level of willingness on the part of those inspected to cooperate and comply with the legal requirements."
The SFAO is not authorized to provide information on the result. Only if there is a legally binding criminal judgment does the SFAO include a reference to this judgment without comment in the corresponding reports in the public register.
Tiana Angelina Moser in first place
For the Council of States, only final invoices in excess of CHF 50,000 for successful campaigns are subject to disclosure. A total of CHF 6 million was reported. Campaigns in populous cantons and those with contested seats in the Council of States reported the highest amounts overall.
With income of CHF 417,000, Zurich GLP member of the Council of States Tiana Angelina Moser came out on top. She also received income from the Environmental Alliance campaign. She was followed by Pascal Broulis (FDP/VD) and Thierry Burkart (FDP/AG), who also received several hundred thousand francs for their Council of States campaign.
The surprising election success of Simon Stocker (SP/SH) is probably partly due to his expensive campaign, which cost around a quarter of a million francs. Franziska Roth (SP/SO) also invested a lot in her campaign in a comparatively small canton.
Up to 40,000 francs fine
The transparency rules applied to the National Council elections for the first time. Parliament had voted in favor of a threshold of CHF 50,000 for the disclosure requirement in the indirect counter-proposal to the withdrawn transparency initiative. In the Council of States, the transparency rules for campaigns of CHF 50,000 or more only applied to those who won the election.
The SFAO must report breaches of the disclosure obligation to the prosecution authorities. Offenders - whether individuals or organizations - risk a fine of up to CHF 40,000.
©Keystone/SDA
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