The CDU has once again made use of its right to ask questions in the Bundestag before the election, submitting a small inquiry to the federal government about its cooperation with NGOs. The CDU wanted to know if it has ensured the political independence of the work of the organizations it finances. The background to this was demonstrations against the political opposition in Germany, which were called by organizations funded by the federal government. At the same time, the federal government supported the demonstrations. Politicians from the Ampel coalition were present at the protests and shared photos of them on social media, giving the impression that the government was organizing protests against the opposition parties AfD and CDU through the financing of NGOs in the election campaign.
The CDU’s small inquiry sparked a protest storm. The CDU was accused of trying to suppress civil society engagement, a central accusation made by the very organizations that the CDU is accused of not standing for civil society engagement, but rather acting in the interest and on behalf of the federal government.
The Bild newspaper now has the federal government’s responses to the small inquiry. Those who had hoped for clarification will be disappointed, according to Bild.
“The federal government sees no indications of the assertion made in the small inquiry, that the funded ‘NGOs’ formed a shadow structure” is the central statement. One can believe that, but also not. Evidence that the political independence of the organizations financed from the budget is guaranteed, remains the response lacking.
It is already clear from the introduction to the response that the federal government does not want to provide a satisfactory response, as it does not see it as its task to compile and process freely available information.
As for the question of how much organizations like Correctiv, Omas gegen Rechts and others are financed, the federal government states that it will not be able to provide the information in the “prescribed time.” This leaves the suspicion that the federal government maintains a shadow structure of organizations for political influence. The CDU is, of course, not an exception. Its outrage over the state of affairs in Germany is played out. It also finances organizations that serve its interests. It’s just a different set of organizations.