The four independent experts appointed by the Federal Parliament to assess the financing of political parties in Belgium recommend a complete overhaul of the current rules, according to their report published on Thursday.
In concrete terms, the experts recommend setting a maximum amount each year for the total allocation parties can receive collectively, then distributing this sum between the parties via a distribution formula. This would be given both as a lump sum basis and on the basis of election results.
The parties themselves should gather at least 10% of their total budget through, membership fees, donations or contributions from their representatives. However, a maximum cap would apply to these contributions.
Part of the operating budget would also be reserved for party research services so that each party "has a minimum of resources available for in-depth voter surveys".
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The experts also advocated a separation between the parliamentary groups and the parties themselves, arguing that the resources made available by parliament should not be used for party activities but must support parliamentarians. This measure would strengthen Parliament and prevent parties from becoming too dominant over their members.
The recommendations are based partly on the legislation of other European countries and on a European regulation drawn up in 2014.
