FDP receives more than three million euros through large donations

For the FDP it is running these days. In surveys, the Liberals are doing better than they have for a long time, at around 12 percent. Five weeks before the general election, FDP leader Christian Lindner is already being referred to as “Chancellor maker”. The past few weeks have also paid off financially.

Since the beginning of July alone, the party has received around 1.3 million euros in major donations. On Monday, two more appeared on the side of the Bundestag administration. There, parties must immediately report donations of more than 50,000 euros. This time the Liberals received 100,000 euros each from the discounters Tedi and Woolworth. Two companies that have never appeared on political parties’ donation lists.

What do Tedi and Woolworth hope for? The two companies, which are connected to each other via BH Holding GmbH, answer a Tagesspiegel request six minutes one after the other verbatim. One is convinced that the Free Democrats could make “an important contribution in a new government”.

“We are particularly impressed that the FDP wants to relieve people who have a low income and that, like no other party, represents the interests of people with marginal employment.” In addition, the FDP campaigned for civil rights and against several lockdowns during the pandemic. Donations to other parties are not planned, both companies announced.

Transparency International sees distortion of competition in the election campaign

Hartmut Bäumer, Chairman of Transparency International Germany, suspects that the large donations by companies are not just an appreciation of the attitude in Corona times. “Companies are concerned with future climate, tax and social policy,” he told Tagesspiegel. On these points, the FDP’s election manifesto represented the interests of the economy more than left-wing parties that advocate a higher minimum wage, for example. The economy, in turn, is looking for partners in politics. A large donation as a win-win situation.

Bäumer also takes a critical view of such privileges because of any distortion of competition: “In an election year like this, when things are so exciting and tight, it is particularly important that equal opportunities are preserved, I see these being impaired by such corporate donations“Transparency International has been advocating for many years that large donations for political parties should be capped at a maximum of 50,000 euros per year.

Bäumer, who used to be an active politician in the Greens, is convinced that the donations will have an impact on the election results. “Of course the FDP has an advantage because of the large number of donations,” said Bäumer. The Liberals could print more posters, run more election ads, and get more attention.

The last 21 donations all went to the FDP or the Union

In total, the FDP already received 3.1 million euros in large donations in 2021 – significantly more than all other parties. The last 21 notifiable donations all came from the FDP and Union. Most of the money comes from private donors, but Deutsche Vermögensberatung, the car rental company Sixt and the real estate company of the Gröner Group also donated. The FDP stands in front of the CDU with around 2.5 million and the Greens. Most of the 1.8 million came from two private donations. Meanwhile, the SPD and the Left have not received a single donation over 50,000 euros in the election year.

The Social Democrats take it sporty. You traditionally receive fewer large donations, but your own members would donate, said a spokeswoman. One does not see any distortion of competition in favor of the FDP, although the SPD also wants to cap donations to 100,000 euros per year. “We assume that a donation will support our democracy. “