Most political parties hid sources of funding and actual costs during the 2020 election campaign. The administrators on social networks that financed the advertising of certain political structures were exclusively from Serbia. What was characteristic was that political parties continued to cover up the costs of field campaigns. The media gave discounts to parties for advertising and provided services that were not included in the price lists, and the data on discounts were deleted from contracts. In the election campaign in 2020, a company from Cyprus appeared for the first time as a service provider, which never submitted a financial report on its business. As many as 55 transactions were declared secret, so the public has no access to the amount of funds spent, but also to whom they were paid during the election campaign. It is evident that the support measures from the third package to help citizens and the economy in the fight against Covid-19 were used for political purposes. It was noticed that some officials of the new Government go to municipalities and make some promises. In the previous elections, the role of the church was also specific. This has been announced at today’s conference on Financing of Political Parties and Election Campaigns by the MANS executive director Vanja Ćalović Marković.
She has pointed out that bad practices in financing campaigns continue and that they have now been extended to new political entities. According to Ms Ćalović Marković, it is necessary to change the management of the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption (ASK).
