Steven N.
The State Audit Office (ÁSZ) believes that certain political parties have not addressed shortcomings that had been identified in previous audits, despite the fact that the parties had created action plans to fix them, ÁSZ wrote to state news agency MTI in a summary.
According to the report, ÁSZ audited the finances of the Democratic Coalition (DK), Jobbik, LMP – Hungary’s Green Party, the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP), and the Dialogue for Hungary, and found problems in the books of each of these parties, which are all in the opposition camp.
ÁSZ’s audit revealed that MSZP had satisfied the basic regulatory conditions for legally managing its funds for 2019-2020, but did not comply with legal requirements for that period, and so it could not substantiate its financial statements.
However, DK, Jobbik, LMP, and Dialogue did not satisfy the basic regulatory conditions for legally managing their funds for 2019-2020. Like MSZP, the auditing body found that these parties also did not comply with legal requirements during that period, meaning that they could not substantiate their financial statements either.
As a result of the findings, ÁSZ has formulated recommendations that the relevant parties have to address in an action plan within 30 days.
Political parties are required to report annually on how they legally manage their finances, and ÁSZ is permitted to audit parties who receive financing from the government every two years.
Based on financial statements submitted by the parties, the audit provides feedback on whether the parties have complied with the basic requirements for functioning as a political party as set forth in the Basic Law and the Party Act, and whether managing their finances was carried out in a legal and transparent manner.
[Telex]
