Less than two weeks before the general election, the anti -corruption watchdog has improved Germany’s “opaque” party fines. This call comes between large donations to AFD and BSW parties – and as the country slipped from 9th to 15th in the Transparency International Corruption Dharna Index.
There is no curb on the size of the donation that individuals, companies or groups can do German parties, or how often donors can make gifts.
Transparency German chair Alexandra Herzog saw that as a major problem: “What gift a person in Germany can give a party, is unrestricted. We are calling for the upper range of € 50,000 per donor per year by the party. . “
In an interview with DW, Herzog cited the recent multi-military euro donation from former Austria’s remote independence party (FPO) party officer for a remote option for Germany (AFD). AFD accepted a payment of approximately € 2.35 million ($ 2.43 million) to fund a large -scale poster campaign for the February 23 election.
While gifts from outside the European Union are limited to € 1,000, there are no donations from the European Union citizens.
Danger of donating large amount
However, a large amount should be immediately informed to the German Parliament. According to the Bundestag administration, AFD’s Austrian windfall was revealed according to the regulations. The authority said so tagesschau.deA news portal is associated with a public broadcast company ArdThat there were no basis to query the acceptance of donations based on the existing information.
However, the TI German chair warned of the danger of such gifts. “Inadequate transparency and uncontrolled large donations – some of which come from abroad endanger and reduce the trust of citizens in democracy.”
Country, Finland and France search, on the contrary, there are donations. Hence Paris has banned corporate gifts. The current German party financing rules, Dukes, makes Germany susceptible to influence the impact by foreign states.
Big winds on rise
Last year, there was a record year for large yoga donations in Germany as well as more than 18.6 million Parliament.
While Conservative Christian Democrats were shifted out after the collapse of the Center-Left alliance, a newcomer Localist Party, Sahara Wagoncate Alliance (BSW), who is the overall winner of 2024. It is ahead of CDU from € 5.3 million to € 6.4 million. The majority came from two large gifts of a German businessman. In 2025, conservatives are in front.
Less than a week before the election, Austrian investigators said Ty saw AFD to donate: Gerhard Dingler, Austrian national and right -wing freedom party’s former regional manager FPö allegedly donated € 2.35 million to AFD. Was. The campaign should be spent on the poster. However, according to media outlets mirror, Standard And ZDF, The Austrian Federal Criminal Police Office and Domestic Intelligence Service (DSN) have received information that the money came from a German businessman and Dingler was allegedly only one cover. They are investigating the suspicion of finance of the cover party which is strictly prohibited under the German party law.
If the suspicion is confirmed, the AFD may face penalty for illegal party funding, which can be up to three times the amount of illegal donations.
Under the financing laws, parties are not allowed to accept more than € 500 anonymous donations. Each party’s annual report with donor information should be published above € 10,000.
The chairman of the Bundestag of the lower house of Germany is to be informed about the gifts above 35,000 directly. The identity of the amount and the donor should soon be published in the parloradory papers. Transparency Germany wants to see all the amount more than € 10,000, they require immediate disclosure.
Other Sources of Funding: Membership Fee and State
Parties also get revenue from membership fee, which is usually associated with the net income of a member. For example, in the case of greens, the monthly membership fee is a normal 1% net income.
The CDU charges its 363,000 members between 8 and € 50 through the month according to its income, while the Center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) membership fee starts from € 6 per month and more than € 6,000 € 6,000 per month. Goes more than € 300. ,
Political parties in Germany receive the basis from the federal government, which they rent in elections. They are eligible for public funding if they manage at least 1% vote at the state level or 0.5% of the vote in the European Union or national elections.
In addition, parties receive 45 cents for each euro received as membership fees, elected representatives and contributions from donations (until € 3,300).
However, a party can never get more state funding because it produces through its revenue in any year. Therefore, state funding cannot make more than half of its income.
A roof is determined by Bundestag every year on state funding. In 2024, it reached € 219 million in total.
Campaign funding
Unlike the United States and other countries, the German campaign does not distinguish between funding and funds from a political party. The campaign is part of the general duties of a political party and is included in the total budget of the party.
And unlike the US, all campaigns from billboard to radio and TV advertisements are limited to a few weeks before the election in Germany.
The CDU has the highest campaign budget of all sides: 28 million euros, a spokesman told The Reduction Network Germany (RND).
Of course, all this is nothing compared to our election financing. Election expenses in the 2020-2024 cycle are estimated to cost between 10 and 15 trillion dollars.
Edited by Reena Goldenburg
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