In the wake of reports suggesting a potentially illegal large donation to the AfD, the Greens are leveling serious accusations against the party. According to Irene Mihalic, the parliamentary business manager of the Greens’ Bundestag faction, speaking to the Handelsblatt, the donation raises “very fundamental questions”. In addition to an investigation by the Bundestag administration, Mihalic called for a probe into whether an “illegitimate financing system in favor of the AfD exists, through which possibly large sums of money are being laundered”.
The AfD has a history of being involved in several spending scandals and Mihalic emphasized that if funds from allegedly criminal connections are flowing into parties and influencing election campaigns, it “massively damages democracy”.
Dirk Wiese, the SPD’s parliamentary whip, told the Handelsblatt that the case once again highlights the “dubious and opaque” way the AfD handles its finances. “If the reports are confirmed, it would be another serious case of illegal party financing at the AfD’s expense.” While Wiese sees no need for a reform of party financing, citing the recent tightening of rules for party donations, he believes that these measures have set clear boundaries to prevent circumvention and obscure money flows.