According to preliminary campaign funding reports for the June municipal elections, business groups and leaders favor candidates from the opposition National Coalition Party (NCP). All final election financial reports must be submitted by the end of next week.
Candidates who have been elected as councilors or alternates in municipal elections must declare their campaign funding. There are still more than a week to submit reports. The deadline is Monday, August 16th.
Many delegates have already made their announcements, and some have also voluntarily announced advance funding for the campaign before the election.
Data for this story was collected from financial statements on Friday afternoon, August 6th.
Three party chairs, Sanna Marin (SDP), Petteri Orpo (NCP) and Anna-Maja Henriksson (SPP) had not yet announced its campaign funding on Friday.
Top list of Helsinki mayoral candidates
Helsinki’s mayoral candidates were at the forefront of spending money on election campaigns. However, the differences were large.
Juhana Vartiainen Of the NCP elected mayor of Helsinki, 57,511 euros was spent on his campaign, not any of his own money. Much of the funding came from donations from business leaders.
Vartiainen received almost 45,000 euros from private individuals for the election. Among them were six well-known corporate figures whose donations exceeded the € 800 ad limit.
For example, the CEO of Sampo Group Björn Wahlroos donated 3,000 euros to Vartiainen’s campaign. Ilpo Kokkila, one of SRV ‘s main shareholders, gave Vartia EUR 1,500.
Anni Sinnemäki Of the Greens, who came in second as deputy mayor, estimated their campaign spending at € 64,300 in a preliminary announcement.
Based on his advance announcement, Sinnemäki apparently spent the most money on the Helsinki mayor’s election campaign, 64,300 euros.
In his advance announcement, Sinnemäki estimates that he will use 18,000 euros of his own money for his campaign. Support for the Greens covered more than half of the cost of the campaign. Sinnemäki has not yet submitted a report on the actual expenses of the campaign.
Outgoing chairman of the Finnish party Jussi Halla-aho, who competed unsuccessfully for the post of mayor, said his spending in the municipal elections was below the reported minimum of € 800. Halla-aho explained to Yle that the amount was zero euros.
Although he did not win the mayoral competition, Halla-aho received the most votes of all the candidates nationwide, at nearly 19,000. Just after the election, he made a surprise announcement that he would resign as party leader in mid-August.
Ohisalo received election funding from his spouse
Among the chairs of other parties Maria Ohisalo The Greens estimate that his election campaign will cost 13,000 euros, of which 9,000 euros from his own money. Ohisalo also announced financial support of EUR 1,000 from the Director of Renewable Energy.
Before election day, chairman of the Left Alliance Li Andersson announced plans to spend nearly $ 5,000 on its campaign, almost all of its own money.
In his preliminary announcement, the center chair Annika Saarikko he estimates he will spend 1,620 euros in the election, not any of his own money.
Tavio received donations from EK and the construction industry
Emma Kari, the chairman of the Group of the Greens / European Free Alliance, estimates that in his preliminary statement he will spend EUR 24 000 on the elections, EUR 19 000 on his own resources.
In his preliminary statement, a parliamentary whip of the Swedish People’s Party Anders Adlercreutz, estimates that it will spend EUR 4,193 on the elections, most of which from the Stiftelsen för det tvåspråkiga Finland (Finnish Bilingual Foundation).
Ville Tavio, the leader of the parliamentary group of the opposition parties, spent 1882 euros on the election, which was mainly subsidies from the business community. The Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK) supported Tavio with EUR 1,000, while the Construction Industry Association (RT) gave him EUR 500.
Leader of the SDP Group Antti Lindtman and NCPs Kai Mykkänen have not yet submitted their election financing declarations.
However, EK said that it supported Lindtman for 790 euros and Mykkänen for 500 euros.
EK supported NCP the most
In the municipal elections, EK distributed support to five parties or their candidates. The National Support Point and its candidates received the most support (EUR 5320), followed by the Center (3785), the SDP (2480), the Greens (2395) and the Basic Finns (1000).
In the municipal elections, the SAK Association supported only a few candidates who were their own employees and awarded them 300 euros.
The money spent by the candidates is only part of the campaign money for the municipal elections. In addition, for example, national parties and local municipal organizations spend money on election campaigns.
The campaign funding notifications of municipal candidates can be found on the website of the State Audit Office, which supervises campaign funding.
Source: The Nordic Page
