This year, the state budget has earmarked CZK 693 million for the presidential elections held in January and CZK 731 million for all elections. Photo credit: Z. Kolarik, Brno City Municipality.
Prague, May 22 (CTK) – The state budget expenditure for last year’s elections amounted to CZK 959 million, as voters chose their representatives to municipal authorities and one-third of the Senate, the government said in the draft of the state final account.
Political parties received another CZK 575 million from the budget. A year earlier, when voters chose new MPs, the elections cost the state budget CZK 672 million.
This year, the state budget has earmarked CZK 693 million for the presidential elections held in January and CZK 731 million for all elections. During the year, citizens vote in municipalities where local authorities have fallen apart.
Last year, the Czech Statistical Office spent almost CZK 100 million on processing the election results. The Interior Ministry needed almost CZK 134 million to print and distribute ballot papers and to provide security during the elections. Regions and municipalities spent CZK 528 million. Some money was also used for the preparation of this year’s presidential election.
Political parties received CZK 575 million last year. This was less than in 2021, when the state paid them over CZK 1 billion in connection with the parliamentary elections. Parties and movements receive several allowances from the state, which funds them CZK 900,000 per year for each elected MP and senator, and CZK 250,000 for each regional and Prague representative.
In addition, parties and movements that win at least 3% of the votes in the parliamentary elections receive a permanent contribution for their activities. This varies based on the electoral profit from CZK 6 million to CZK 10 million per year. Some parties and movements are also entitled to a subsidy for the work of their political institutes. Last year, parties received CZK 527 million for activities and CZK 48 million for political institutes.
The opposition ANO movement received the largest amount, CZK 139.7 million. The second highest contribution went to the Mayors and Independents (STAN), which received CZK 93 million. The third largest amount went to the Civic Democrats (ODS), which received CZK 87.2 million. The Pirates received CZK 55.5 million and the Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL) CZK 52.3 million. The state contributed CZK 40 million to Freedom and Democracy, while TOP 09 received CZK 30.5 million.
