How much does democracy cost in Lithuania? An analysis of the cost of a parliamentary mandate based on the example of Lithuanian political parties in the 2020 and 2024 parliamentary elections
How much does democracy cost in Lithuania? An analysis of the cost of a parliamentary mandate based on the example of Lithuanian political parties in the 2020 and 2024 parliamentary elections

Summary/Abstract: The aim of this article is to analyze the sources, possibilities of obtaining, and the total amount of funds spent by political parties on election campaigns within the Lithuanian political system. This work is based on quantitative analysis, which enables the assessment of the income and expenses of individual political parties during the 2020 and 2024 parliamentary election campaigns. The methodology is based on a case study and systemic analysis, allowing for a detailed examination of the Lithuanian party system, in which the functioning political parties follow the cartel party model according to the concept of Katz and Mair (1995). The analysis of party income and campaign expenditures for the 2020-2024 parliamentary elections showed that Lithuanian political parties are dependent on various sources of funding: donations from individuals and legal entities, membership fees, and state budget funds. Moreover, the analysis showed that the expenditures of political parties and their candidates on the election campaign in 2020 (in euros) averaged approximately 430,095 EUR per party. The cost of obtaining one parliamentary seat for a political party in the 2020 elections (in euros) averaged 106,557 EUR per member of parliament. Lithuanian political parties rely on various sources of funding: donations from individuals and legal entities, membership fees, and funds from the state budget.

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