The Court of Auditors detects irregularities in the first examination of the far-right Aliança Catalana

BarcelonaThe Court of Auditors has detected legal breaches and infringements in its first audit report on the far-right party Aliança Catalana. In its report on the expenses of the parties in the 2023 municipal elections, which led Silvia Orriols to the mayoralty of Ripoll, it points out that Aliança exceeded the limit of permitted electoral spending and, in addition, received private donations that did not meet all the legal requirements.

According to Europa Press, from the report, Silvia Orriols' party spent 3,516.15 euros on the campaign and exceeded by 359.62 euros the maximum limit for electoral expenditure established by the organic law of the electoral regime, which represents an excess of 10.23%. This is a punishable irregularity, according to the legislation, and classified as very serious in the law on party financing. On the other hand, the Court of Auditors report also indicates that she received a donation of 500 euros without ID, in addition to contributions from the party to the electoral campaign totaling 3,024.85 euros that did not comply with all the legal requirements demanded by the law. It also points out an expenditure of 1,070.14 euros that has not been justified with any invoice.

Cash collections and payments

However, the warnings in the Court of Auditors report do not end here. It points out that Aliança Catalana did not prove the opening of a specific bank account for the expenses of the 2023 municipal elections, which is required by the organic law of the electoral regime. In this way, it points out that all the collections (3,524.85 euros) and payments (3,270.63 euros) that it has declared were made in cash, in breach of the law.

For all these reasons, the Court of Auditors concludes that the Ministry of the Interior, which is responsible for financing the parties through electoral subsidies after the elections, must reduce the subsidy sent to Alianza. On the one hand, 7,049.70 euros are subtracted - the law states that it must be double what it has not justified correctly -; and on the other hand, the amount of 327.06 euros of the subsidy is reduced, which corresponds to what it spent extra.