United List Proposes Cutting State Funding for Parties While Easing Spending Restrictions
The Latvian party United List proposes cutting state funding for political parties by at least 15% from next year. It also wants to relax the limits on how the money may be spent, which the anti-corruption bureau KNAB opposes.
The Latvian party United List (Apvienotais saraksts, AS) is proposing to reduce state funding for political parties by at least 15% starting next year. At the same time, the party wants to ease the restrictions on how that money can be used. In practice, parties would receive less public money but would have more freedom to decide how to spend it.
The idea is opposed by the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB), the Latvian state agency responsible for fighting corruption, including oversight of party financing.
The proposal and KNAB's position were reported by the "de facto" programme on Latvian Television (LTV). The source does not say which spending restrictions AS wants to relax, how the changes would be submitted for consideration, or what arguments KNAB gives for its objection.
