Germany’s elections held under effective legal framework, says OSCE/ODIHR final report, recommends improving political party and campaign finance rules

Germany’s parliamentary elections on 22 September 2013 were held under a legal framework that provided a solid basis for the conduct of democratic elections, but more can be done to improve the regulation of political party and campaign finance, concludes the final report by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).

The final report, released on 16 December 2013, notes that a number of legal amendments were introduced that further enhanced the electoral legislation, which enjoyed a high degree of cross-party support. Some of these changes address previous OSCE/ODIHR recommendations, though a few issues remain unaddressed.

The report specifically notes that while political parties and authorities expressed a general satisfaction with the existing regulations for party financing and campaign spending, party and campaign finance oversight could be further improved. The recommendations focus on enhancing transparency in a number of ways; ensuring all political parties submit financial statements and introduce sanctions for non-compliance; clarifying provisions related to donations; and adopting measures to provide more detailed information on campaign expenditure.

The report adds that while recent amendments partially address a previous recommendation related to submitting complaints prior to election day, the limited range of issues on which complaints and appeals can be filed could narrow the opportunity for citizens to secure an effective and timely remedy.