Payments double in 2010 election year

Czech political parties were given over 1.0 billion crowns, around 53 million US dollars, last year from the state budget according to figures released on Monday by the Ministry of Finance. The doubling in payments compared with 2009 was largely the result of May’s elections to the lower house of Parliament. The winner of most votes, the Social Democrats, received almost 285 million crowns in payments for its election result followed by the Civic Democrats with almost 260 million crowns. The Communist Party was paid almost 125 million with new parties TOP 09 getting 121 million and Public Affairs 78 million. Further payments were made to parties which gained more than 3.0 percent of the vote and according to the number of seats they won in parliament and regional assemblies.