The election campaign is expensive and for some parties, at least, generous donors are filling party coffers. The winner of the party spending contest this week was the AfD, with around 2.5 million euros in donations. Of that, 1.5 million euros came from the Saxon entrepreneur Winfried Stöcker and Horst Jan Winter donated 999,900 euros to the AfD’s party account.
However, the AfD only takes second place in the overall total of donations since the start of the year. The CDU, with Chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz, has received a total of around 2.7 million euros in donations, putting it in first place.
Donors are also enthusiastic about the FDP, with 1.7 million euros in large donations entering the party’s account in the first month of the year, securing a well-deserved third place. Whether the investment will pay off remains to be seen, as the party’s chances of entering the Bundestag are uncertain according to current polls.
The SPD, on the other hand, informed the President of the German Bundestag of a mere 740,000 euros in large donations since the start of the year, failing to make the top spot.
In comparison, the Green party’s friends were relatively frugal, contributing only 255,000 euros so far. Even the regional party CSU reported a higher intake of 272,000 euros in donations.
The Free Voters party, on the other hand, received a mere 52,000 euros. The Left and the BSW did not receive any large donations, although the BSW had collected a total of 6.41 million euros in donations last year.
Donations of 35,000 euros or more must be reported to the President of the Bundestag, with the amount and the donor’s name being published by the Bundestag.