This accounting trick was repeatedly mentioned in last year’s audits, and this year the Parliament’s administration urged organizations in several meetings “to discontinue the practice,” the report says.
“There could have been an attempt to fraudulently use public money,” said Louis Drouneau, founder of the European Democracy Consulting, an organization that tracks political party donations and expenditure.
“And since there is so little transparency regarding the expenses of European parties … this decreases the ability of civil society and the press to keep a watchful eye on party expenses,” he said. “This is noticeably different from the level of transparency enacted in many member states.”
“Any suspicion of illegal activity, fraud or corruption must be reported” to the anti-fraud office or the European prosecutor, the Parliament said in a statement. It could not confirm how many cases were referred to these authorities over 2024 misspending.
Of the €1.5 million, only €130,453 is properly accounted for in the Parliament’s report, with the reasons given for the misspending and those responsible: the Patriots, the Green European Foundation, the Institute of European Democrats and the European Liberal Forum. No specific details are given for the rest of the money as the parties and foundations in question chose to repay the funds rather than contest the findings.
“Transparency is an essential principle in the management of taxpayers’ money,” said Shari Hinds, senior policy officer for EU political integrity at Transparency International. “In practice, however, the complexity of financial rules and procedures can make it challenging to fully reconstruct how certain decisions are implemented.”