Review of basic obligations

Sources of financing

Political parties, candidates and independent lists or lists of groups of voters may finance their election campaigns by their own funds and through donations made by natural and legal persons and from other sources permitted by law.

The total value of donations made by a natural person to finance the costs of an election campaign shall not exceed 3.981,68 euro and the total value of donations made by a legal person shall not exceed 26.544,56 euro in respect of:

an individual political party, an individual independent list or an individual candidate for national minority Member of Parliament proposed by voters and national minority associations, in elections for members of the Croatian Parliament
an individual political party or an individual list of a group of voters, in elections for members of the European Parliament from the Republic of Croatia
an individual candidate in elections for President of the Republic of Croatia
an individual political party or an individual list of a group of voters, in elections for members of the representative bodies of local and regional self-government units, irrespective of the number of self-government units in which the political party or the list of a group of voters participates in elections
an individual candidate in elections for municipal prefects, city mayors, county prefects and their deputies
a political party that has opened a separate account on behalf of a joint list on the basis of an agreement between the political parties involved, in elections for members of the European Parliament from the Republic of Croatia, in elections for members of the Croatian Parliament, and in elections for members of the representative bodies of local and regional self-government units, irrespective of the number of self-government units in which the joint list participates in elections.

Political parties, persons authorised to represent independent lists, lead candidates on lists proposed by groups of voters, and candidates shall report to the State Electoral Commission any value of donations which exceeds the specified amounts and shall pay it into the state budget no later than 15 days from the date of receipt of payment.

The financing is prohibited by the:

foreign states, foreign political parties, foreign legal persons
foreign natural persons, other than nationals of other Member States of the European Union who are resident or on temporary stay in the Republic of Croatia in accordance with the Foreigners Act
state authorities, public enterprises, legal persons vested with public authority, companies and other legal persons in which the Republic of Croatia, according to the Register of State-Owned Assets, owns more than 5% of the shares or stocks, and public enterprises, legal persons vested with public authority, companies and other legal persons in which a self-government unit holds more than 5% of the shares or stocks, as well as public and other institutions founded by the Republic of Croatia or by a self-government unit or owned by the Republic of Croatia or by a self-government unit
trade unions and employers’ associations
associations, trusts and foundations represented by central government officials or by elected officials of local or regional self-government
religious communities, humanitarian and other non-profit associations and organisations
natural and legal persons subject to any enforcement proceedings relating to their arrears to the state budget or to the budget of a self-government unit or to their employees
self-government units, except in the cases and in the manner provided for in the Act
unidentified (anonymous) sources
intermediaries

Any donation coming from illicit source shall be reported to the State Electoral Commission, and the value of such donation shall be paid into the state budget within 15 days of the date of receipt of payment.

If the total amount of the donations received exceeds the allowed amount of election campaign costs, the total value of donations that exceeds the allowed amount of election campaign costs shall be returned to their payers, in proportion to the value of donations received, no later than within the time limit prescribed for the submission of the election campaign financial statement.

Limitation of costs

Funds collected to finance an election campaign may only be used for the payment of election campaign costs.

The total amount of election campaign costs per candidate or per list of candidates shall not exceed the following amounts:

1.061.782,47 euro in elections for President of the Republic of Croatia
199.084,21 euro within a single constituency in elections for members of the Croatian Parliament
530.891,23 euro in elections for members of the European Parliament
106.178,25 euro in elections for the mayor of the City of Zagreb
63.706,95 euro in elections for county prefects and mayors of large cities
26.544,56 euro in elections for city mayors and municipal prefects in self-government units with a population of more than 10 000 people
10.617,82 euro in elections for city mayors and municipal prefects in self-government units with a population of 3 001 to 10 000 people
5.308,91 euro in elections for city mayors and municipal prefects in self-government units with a population of up to 3000 people.

The amounts specified for elections for chief officials in self-government units shall also apply to elections for members of the representative bodies of those units.

Separate account

A political party shall open a separate account dedicated to financing election campaign costs for each individual election in which it participates, as follows:

elections for members of the Croatian Parliament (one separate account)
elections for members of the European Parliament (one separate account)
elections for members of the representative bodies of self-government units (one separate account for each self-government unit election in which it participates).

A separate account dedicated to financing election campaign costs of an independent list, a list of a group of voters or a candidate shall be opened by the following persons authorised to represents independent lists, lead candidates on lists of groups of voters, and candidates:

candidates for President of the Republic of Croatia, regardless of whether they have been proposed by political parties or by voters
lead candidates on lists of groups of voters in elections for members of the European Parliament
persons authorised to represents independent lists in elections for members of the Croatian Parliament
candidates for national minority Members of Parliament nominated by voters and national minority associations
candidates for municipal prefects, city mayors and county prefects, regardless of whether they have been proposed by political parties or by voters
candidates for deputy municipal prefects, deputy mayors and deputy county prefects elected from among national minorities, regardless of whether they have been proposed by political parties or by voters
lead candidates on lists of groups of voters in elections for members of the representative bodies of self-government units.

Political parties, candidates, persons authorised to represent independent lists or lead candidates on lists proposed by groups of voters, as well as persons intending to stand for election, shall open a separate account dedicated to financing election campaign costs no later than the date of submission of their candidature and not earlier than six months before the planned election day.

Financial reports

Political parties, persons authorised to represent independent lists or lead candidates on lists proposed by groups of voters, and candidates to whom funds for the financing of an election campaign have been paid to their separate accounts shall submit:

within a period of 7 days prior to the election date

a report on donations received to finance election campaign
a report on election campaign costs (expenses)
a report on the price and any discount granted thereon of election campaign advertising in the media

within 30 days after the election day

a financial report on the election campaign financing
a report on the donations received to finance election campaign
a report on election campaign costs (expenses)
a report on the price and any discount granted thereon of election campaign advertising in the media

Reports shall be submitted to the State Audit Office and the State Electoral Commission through the Financial Control Information System.

The Financial Control Information System is a software through which political parties, independent Members of Parliament, independent councillors and persons authorised to represent independent lists, lead candidates on lists proposed by groups of voters, and candidates, as well as an organising committee's representative submit their financial reports and other required reports and data to the State Electoral Commission and the State Audit Office.
Through the Financial Control Information System the required reports are published on the website of the State Electoral Commission.