Cost of Politics Reports

Understanding the cost dimensions of political participation is essential for safeguarding the future of democracy in Kosovo as its growth creates barriers for capable citizens who lack resources and raises questions about fairness, representation, and public trust and risks turning public office into the preserve of those with wealth. . This report – with a focus on the February 2025 parliamentary elections - examines how candidates financed and conducted their legislative campaigns. For some, running for parliament meant dipping deep into personal savings or relying on family and informal support networks, with many treating a mandate as an “investment” that required substantial resources. But these necessary outlays can affect the participation of underrepresented groups: young people often lack established networks to raise funds, while women face significant challenges due to unequal access to sponsorship, weaker party support, and prevailing societal attitudes linked to their gender.

This objective of this background paper is to conduct primary research on the cost of parliamentary politics in Ukraine, the financial implications of running for a seat in the national parliament, and the cost incurred by an MP once in office.

This objective of this background paper is to conduct primary research on the cost of parliamentary politics in Ukraine, the financial implications of running for a seat in the national parliament, and the cost incurred by an MP once in office.

Analysing the cost of engaging in politics in Albania opens a wider debate on the roles of the CEC, civil society and the state in financing political parties and strengthening democracy in Albania.

Political parties invent various forms of legal (or at least, not illegal) financing of their campaigns, or simply do not get sanctioned for their seemingly unlawful financial activities. The legislative framework has been improved, but it does not entirely solve t...