This policy mirrors the public funding of state TV/New broadcasting.
This is just another example of the system padding itself from the reality of societal contempt, mistrust and its wrath. Yes, most a just happy as ignorant clams on how they’re being scammed by the cultural elite, most couldn’t care less. For us that do however, this is pure, naked, tyranny.
Yes, the parties receive state funding in proportion to the number of seats they hold in the parliament, but the idea of the public being forced to fund political parties that they’re in complete disagreement with, is beyond the pale. That notion comes home even more to those who are completely removed from the political scene, having long since given up hope in the system entirely. It’s rigged.
So to with the state broadcaster YLE.
In the normal world of private enterprise, we reward business with exchanging our money for the service that they provide. In the fake world of public enterprise, we hand over money regardless of whether their services are worthy or completely a waste of time. How is a forced subscriber to vent his/her frustration with a public enterprise like YLE, effectively when withholding your money will bring the agency calling at your door demanding all of your tv sets?
Gov’t hands over nearly 30 million to political parties
The government has distributed close to 30 million euros in subsidies to political parties to fund their political and communications activities for 2016. The Centre Party took the lion’s share of the pot, as it secured the highest number of seats in last year’s parliamentary elections.
The government announced Tuesday that it had shared out 29.6 million euros in subsidies to political parties represented in the Parliament. The financial support is intended to help bankroll the parties’ political, information and communications programmes for 2016.
The parties are expected to use five percent of the funding to support women’s political activities and another five percent for the activities of local party groups.
The funds have been distributed to correspond with the number of seats each parliamentary party won in the 2015 general election. This meant that Prime Minister Juha Sipilä’s Centre Party came away with some 7.2 million euros, while Timo Soini’s Finns Party received 5.6 million euros and Alexander Stubb’s National Coalition Party got 5.4 million euros.
Funding for the Social Democratic party was just over five million euros, with the Greens, Left Alliance, Swedish People’s Party and the Christian Democratic Party pocketing 2.2 million, 1.8 million, 1.3 million and 740,000 euros respectively.
The government has provided funding for political parties since 1967 and the Justice Ministry is responsible for monitoring how parties use the funds.
NOTE: That the political system here, as it is in the rest of Europe, has no primary system in which to challenge the status quo. That’s how they like it here, playing it safe, predictable and in their pocket.
