The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has adopted a resolution on transparency and regulation of donations to political parties and electoral campaigns from foreign donors, Report informs.
The Assembly takes note that citizens express growing concern with regard to the integrity of democratic decision-making in Council of Europe member States in the light of recent reports about improper or illicit interference through financial contributions by foreign States or State-linked entities to political parties and electoral campaigns. It is worried that the attempts to interfere in a country’s democratic decision-making through financial contributions are increasingly combined with other means of interference such as disinformation and cyberattacks.
PACE has condemned attempts by states to “interfere improperly or illicitly in democratic decision-making processes” in other states by funding political parties or campaigns – and set out a roadmap for cracking down on the practice.
It calls on the Member States to review their regulations governing financial contributions to political parties and electoral campaigns from foreign sources, including their enforcement,