One of the major changes contained in the draft amendments (in Article 12 pars 1 and 3 (1) of the draft amendments) would prohibit any donation from legal persons. Bans on donations from companies to political parties and candidates are increasingly common and are not, as such, objectionable. If such prohibitions are to be effective, it should be ensured, however, that these types of bans also cover donations to legal structures connected to election campaigns and political parties. Additionally, banning any legal person from making donations makes it all the more important to draft legislation carefully to avoid loans, credits and debts to be used to circumvent these limits. It is positive that Article 24 of the Law already mentions these types of contributions but it may be advisable to include further provisions on the repayments or cancellation of loans (both from credit institutions and other legal entities such as corporations), credits or debts.28 The authorities stand ready to introduce more detailed regulations in the final version of the amendments’ package.
