Lega dei Ticinesi reported over undeclared income

The Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO) has reported the Lega dei Ticinesi to the public prosecutor's office over a suspected violation of the federal law on political rights. At the centre of the case is the alleged failure to submit the movement's income, or a declaration considered incorrect under the legal requirements. The Ticino public prosecutor's office confirmed the existence of the report to the news agency Keystone-ATS, stating that the necessary checks are under way.

The case emerged after the SFAO published, last Monday, the income data declared by parties for 2025. Nine of the ten parties represented in the federal chambers appear on the list published by the authority. The Lega dei Ticinesi, however, is said not to have submitted its data, or the data has simply not yet been published.

The Lega's response

The movement's coordinator, Daniele Piccaluga, stated in writing that the Lega had regularly submitted all the information requested by the SFAO. According to Piccaluga, as in the previous year, the data was sent to Bern in July. The coordinator also announced that he would ask the SFAO directly why the data has not been published.

Since 2023, parties represented in the federal chambers have been required to report to the SFAO any contributions and donations exceeding 15,000 francs received in a year from a single person or company. The reported data must clearly show the origin of the donation and is then published on the SFAO's website.

In addition to membership dues and compensation for mandates, parties must also declare income from events and services. Contributions from parliamentary groups, however, are not subject to this requirement. The transparency requirement also applies only to parties' national sections, not to their cantonal or communal branches.