Be a candidate for the presidential election it’s expensive. However, the contenders for the Elysée must submit to very specific rules concerning the financing and expenditure of their electoral campaign. But what if these expenses were unlimited?
What is the current rule?
In France, a presidential candidate cannot spend lavishly. It must respect an expenditure ceiling fixed by decree.
Currently, for candidates present in the first round, the amount of the ceiling is set at 16,851,000 euros. It amounts to 22,509,000 euros for the two candidates in the second round.
To finance his electoral campaign, a candidate can count on a certain number of private financings authorized by law. First, there is his personal contribution and the loans contracted with banks (only those whose head office is in a Member State of the European Union).
Then there are also contributions from his political party, if there is one, and donations from individuals. These cannot exceed the sum of €4,600 per donor. It should be noted that corporate donations have been prohibited since the 1995 law.
In addition to this private funding, a candidate can also benefit from public funding by reimbursement. As soon as the official list is published, the State pays a fixed advance to each candidate and reimburses part of the campaign costs according to the number of votes cast in the first round.
During his election campaign, the candidate must keep a campaign account and mention precisely the origin of the receipts and the nature of the expenses incurred. This account is then sent to and verified by the National Commission for Campaign Accounts and Political Funding (CNCCFP).
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