Electoral Legislation Reforms, State Funding and Political Parties in the Czech Republic: a Sign of the Cartelization of Party Politics?

Abstract

The paper analyses the system of public funding of political parties in the Czech Republic. The first part of the paper presents an overview of the laws governing political party funding in a wider socioeconomic context. The second part of the paper presents empirical analyses of party funding, focusing primarily on the role that state funding plays in the overall political party income structure. Specific attention is paid to the differences between parliamentary and non-parliamentary political parties. The overall findings suggest that the system of state financing in the Czech Republic does not promote equality and inclusivity within the party system. On the contrary, the significant disproportion of funds available and allocated to parliamentary parties seems to promote and solidify the status quo.