Money Russia to foreign parties, that’s what the law provides

Funding for parties from abroad is illegal. All, with the exception of those coming from legal entities with foreign offices that pay taxes in Italy. When it comes to funding from Russia to foreign parties, and to possible and hitherto unclear links with the Italian parties involved in the 2022 elections, we can only start from here: from the law. In January 2019, measures were introduced for the transparency of political parties and movements and foundations, with particular reference to their financing. Subsequently, again in 2019, a decree intervened on the matter, mainly to redefine the transparency obligations imposed on political foundations. The key passage is this: “For political parties and movements, as well as for lists that participate in elections in municipalities with more than 15,000 inhabitants, a ban on receiving contributions, benefits or other forms of support from governments or public bodies of Foreign states and legal persons established in a foreign state not subject to tax obligations in Italy “. The hypothesis of financing from abroad is part of the framework of the rules governing private financing to parties. The law, since the mid-1970s, has governed two forms of private financing for politics: financing for parties in general and financing for individual candidates during election campaigns. as well as parliamentary groups, private individuals (natural persons) and legal persons (entities, associations, companies, etc.). For the latter, loans are allowed only if: the company does not have a public shareholding greater than 20%; the company is not controlled by a company with public participation; the loans are approved by the competent corporate body; the loans are regularly recorded in the balance sheet, while it is forbidden to contribute to parties or their political-organizational structures, as well as to parliamentary groups by public administration bodies, public bodies, companies with public capital participation exceeding 20 % or of companies controlled by public companies even with a stake of less than 20% if this still ensures control. These prohibitions (and the related sanctions) are extended to loans and contributions, in any form or manner granted, even indirectly, to members of the national parliament; Italian members of the European Parliament; regional, provincial and municipal councilors; candidates for the aforementioned offices; internal groupings of political parties; those who hold positions of presidency, secretariat and political and administrative direction at national, regional, provincial and municipal level in political parties.