The Center Party took out a 385,000-euro loan from LHV Bank. The loan was taken to pay a one-million-euro fine. The court imposed this fine on the party.
The loan was guaranteed by 12 members of the Center Party. The loan must be repaid by 2027. The chairman of the Center Party, Mihhail Kõlvart, said that the bank required collateral. Therefore, 12 members guaranteed the loan with their own funds.
The Supreme Court upheld the previous court's decision. According to this decision, the Center Party, its former secretary-general, and a businessman were found guilty. The party received a fine of 750,000 euros. This fine increased to one million euros.
The financial situation of the Center Party is difficult. This affects their ability to conduct an election campaign. The party's deputy chairman, Yana Toom, said they would not use traditional outdoor advertising.
When the Center Party learned about the fine, they launched a donation campaign. The party collected 85,540 euros in donations in the first quarter. This is twice as much as last year.
In the first quarter, the party received 6,291 euros in membership fees. These were paid by 198 members. The party received 192,891 euros in state support. In total, the party's income was 284,764 euros, and expenses were 235,575 euros. The party's result was a surplus of 49,189 euros.