The juicy budget tit that the political class does not want to let go
Make yourself comfortable, dear citizens who finance this show without having purchased a ticket. It turns out that in the last seven years, the political parties – those altruistic organizations that only want the best for the country, of course – received the modest sum of 7 thousand 354 million 262 thousand 544 pesos in prerogatives. Yes, you read correctly: that number has so many digits that it almost doesn’t fit on the average citizen’s calculator. To give you an idea, this represented on average 30% of the electoral budget approved for the National Electoral Institute (INE), because obviously organizing elections is important, but financing party campaigns is… divine?
The data, compiled in the study “Legislative Trends around Electoral Reform” – a title that sounds as exciting as watching grass grow – shows with astonishing clarity how public financing to parties has remained a significant proportion of total spending. Significant? Come on, it’s like saying that oxygen is “an important thing” for breathing.
Sheinbaum to the rescue: electoral reform or cutbacks?
In a plot twist that no one saw coming, President Claudia Sheinbaum has had a revelation: maybe, just maybe, giving less money to the parties could be a good idea. As part of her electoral reform initiative, the president – in a burst of audacity – will propose a significant reduction in public financing. What a radical idea! Will it put an end to the custom of parties swimming in money like Scrooge McDuck in his gold room? Time will tell, but the mere suggestion already shakes the coffers… sorry, the foundations of democracy.
The analysis of the Belisario Domínguez Institute gives us another pearl: the highest point of this waste was recorded in 2020, when the parties received the handsome amount of 5 thousand 239 million pesos. This was equivalent to 31.5% of the total resources assigned to the electoral body. Because what better year to give out money in droves than in the middle of a global pandemic? Priorities, as always, in place.
For 2025, in a show of moderation, a financing of 7,354 million pesos was projected. Its relative weight is reduced to 21.4%, which will surely make party leaders have to tighten their belts… or perhaps just change their yacht for one that is a little smaller.
The other 70%: operational expense or bureaucratic bonus?
But not all the budget goes to parties… I mean, to campaigns. The rest of the money, around 70%, is allocated – in theory – to the administrative and bureaucratic operation of the INE. That is, to organize electoral processes, maintain the registry, issue voting credentials and guarantee democratic infrastructure. Come on, the hard work that allows the parties to have a place to spend all that money. A perfect symbiosis: some spend, others manage the right to continue spending.
And we come to the main course: 2024, an election year. As expected in this annual comedy, the political parties received their biggest check: 10,444 million pesos in prerogatives. This meant 31.9% of the total budget authorized to the INE, which was 32,767 million pesos. Because elections are like Christmas: the season of receiving gifts… financed by the treasury.
The information reflects, with an irony that not even the best scriptwriters could invent, how in years with federal elections the financing to parties tends to increase both in absolute and relative terms. Do they need more money to convince the electorate? Or is it simply the time of year when budget piñatas are broken with the most enthusiasm? Who would know.
So now you know: the next time a politician talks about austerity, remember these numbers. Meanwhile, the games will continue to be worth millions, and we, the viewers, will pay for the show. Because in the end, the electoral circus must continue, and someone has to pay the clowns.
Are you surprised? Or were you already expecting it? Share this gem of national reality on your social networks and help us make more citizens aware of the fascinating world of partisan finances. And if you’ve got the stomach for more, explore our related content on how public money is spent (and wasted) in this country. Information is power… and sometimes, it is also a good comedy.
