Madrid (EFE).- Posters on streetlights, information tents, brochures, rallies…. they are part of the paraphernalia of any electoral campaign worth its salt. The parties seem to spend with full hands, although in our electoral system that is not possible and limits are set that, in theory, cannot be exceeded.
The maximum spending allowed for political parties in the municipal election campaign is established by the Organic Law of the General Electoral Regime (LOREG) and is limited by the number of inhabitants of each municipality in which the formation presents a candidacy.
Each party can spend a maximum of 0.11 euros for each citizen registered in the locality.
For example, in a municipality with 5,000 inhabitants, each candidacy that stands in the elections can invest a maximum of 550 euros.
To this figure, and for each province in which the party concurs in at least 50 percent of its municipalities, another 150,301 euros are added for electoral expenses.
A provincial amount that allows fattening and not a little the budget for events, posters, billboards throughout the territory.
Up to here, general expenses, because the law also establishes a spending limit on outdoor advertising, which may not exceed 20 percent of the total authorized for the entire campaign.
The Court of Accounts controls these campaign expenses
The control and supervision of these expenses corresponds to the Court of Accounts, which in each electoral process analyzes invoice by invoice and account by account the finances of the parties during the period prior to the appointment with the polls.
Once the elections are over, the parties have the obligation to submit their accounts to the court that audits not only the expenses, but what is more important, the income, which can come from public or private sources, always within maximum limits.
If the supervising body appreciates irregularities or violations of the restrictions established in terms of electoral income and expenses, it can propose the non-awarding or reduction of the electoral subsidy that corresponds to the party in question.
In addition to cutting subsidies, it can even initiate sanction proceedings and agree to the imposition of sanctions.
Thus, the fines range from 5,000 euros for the most minor offenses, to 50,000 euros for very serious ones, intended for those parties that have exceeded the limit of electoral expenses established by law by at least 10 percent.