It is utterly embarrassing that a large majority in parliament are opposed to greater openness about the way lawmakers conduct their business.
Changes to the freedom of information act earlier this year is but one example of this.
Another is the parties’ unwillingness to inform the public about how parties and individual candidates are funded.
[Venstre MP] Søren Pind argues that this is not necessary, since parties can be compared with NGOs.
That’s an argument that’s tough to swallow, since a lack of transparency about party financing makes it possible to give donors preferential treatment, opens the door to conflicts of interest and in the end can lead to outright corruption.
Until there is full disclosure about the source of every krone of political funding to parties and candidates, doubt will continue stalk lawmakers.
Jyllands-Posten
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