German Political Donations Reach Record High Ahead of Election
The German Bundestag has published a report revealing a significant increase in political donations ahead of the upcoming election. The data shows that the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) received nearly 10 times more in large donations than the Social Democratic Party (SPD), with the CDU receiving 5.37 million euros and the SPD receiving 550,001 euros.
The report also highlights a significant shift in the threshold for large donations, which is now set at 35,000 euros, down from 50,000 euros previously. The parties are required to report such donations to the Bundestag president immediately, with the information being made public in a timely manner.
The CDU received the majority of its large donations from a single individual, Stephan Schambach, who donated a total of 650,000 euros.
The Free Democratic Party (FDP) received the most large donations among the former governing parties, with a total of 2.77 million euros, followed by the Greens, who received 957,052 euros.
The BSW, a party not currently represented in the Bundestag, received the largest single donation of 4.09 million euros from two businessmen, Lotte Salingré and Thomas Stanger.
The Left Party, on the other hand, received a single large donation of 68,038 euros from the environmental organization “Campact”.
The Alternative for Germany (AfD) did not report any large donations of over 35,000 euros for the year 2024, and smaller donations remain largely anonymous due to concerns of social backlash.