AfD again receives 2.35 million euros in donations and posters - what now?

AfD again receives 2.35 million euros in donations and posters - what now?

The alternative for Germany (AfD) reported a new large donation of around 2.35 million euros to the Bundestag administration on February 3, 2025. The donor of this sum is the Austrian entrepreneur Gerhard Dingler. The AfD confirmed the receipt of the donation, but did not comment on the background or conditions. This is the third major donation of the past few days, as reports from WDR and NDR show.

The current donation not only includes an amount of money, but also includes a donation in kind: a total of 6,395 posters that are to be hung nationwide for the AfD. These posters have already been printed and are to be used independently of the official AfD election campaign.

other major donations and their importance

The AfD had previously received two other important donations in the current year. One of them was a record amount of 1.5 million euros, which was found by Winfried Stöcker, a doctor and entrepreneur from Lübeck, and represents the largest individual donation in the history of the AfD. Stöcker, known for his open sympathy for the AfD, has controversially commented on the Federal Government as a "dictatorship" and other current topics. In public there are concerns that such large donations could lead to a normalization of the AfD and an influence of wealthy individuals on politics. This was also expressed by the LobbyControl association, which demands an upper limit for party donations.

In total, the AfD has received more than seven million euros in large donations since the beginning of the year. The CDU and CSU and the FDP have also received high sums, with the CDU and CSU received a total of 1.5 million euros over three million euros and the FDP. The SPD reported more than 740,000 euros, while the Greens received 290,000 euros in large donations.

German system of party finance

The financing system for parties in Germany is made up of various sources, including state funds, membership fees, taxes of mandate and private donations. Parties that have received at least 0.5 percent of the votes in the last European or federal elections are entitled to government funds. They receive 83 cents for each vote, and even one euro for the first four million votes. Each donation of over 10,000 euros must be listed in accounting reports, and donations over 35,000 euros must be reported to the Bundestag president, which they then published.

There is currently no fixed upper limit for party donations in Germany. However, critics point to the potential influence of wealthy individuals and companies on politics and demand regulation in order to protect statesmen independence. The discussion about a possible regulation for party donations is still up to date.

The latest developments within the AfD and the dynamic donation practice illustrate the persistent influence of the party financing system on the political landscape of Germany.

For more information you can report the reporting of ZVW , Tagesschau and BPB consult.