Changes to law on party financing leaves PSL and Self-Defense in the cold

The amendment to the law on financing political, which was passed by Parliament, will have a major influence on the coffers of political parties as the autumn local government elections draw close. All parties that secure at least 3% of the votes in parliamentary elections, or coalitions with more than 6% support, receive subsidies in proportion to the votes they received. The State Election Commission (PKW) has not accepted the annual financial reports of the Polish Peasant Party (PSL), Polish Family League (LPR) and Self-Defense. The three parties have already lost 75% subsidies of their previous subsidies, and now they stand to lose 30% of this year's subsidies. However as the PKW has not accepted their election campaign financing reports in previous years, this means, they cannot lose much more than they have already lost. "We are in a dramatic situation anyway. We have not helped ourselves much on voting for the amendment. We will have to make reductions in our Warsaw headquarters," said a PSL leader, Zbigniew Kuzmiuk. In real terms both the PSL and Self-Defense will lose about zl. 300,000 in state subsidies. (Gazeta wyborcza, p. 4) M.M.