The Co-chair of the AfD faction in the Bundestag, Alice ryegrass due to an illegal party donation in Germany in the criticism – even within the party. A party’s internal power struggle behind it?
Donations are in Germany, once a normal way that parties raise funds. You are in addition to the contributions of members and government grants are the third main source of income. However, the proportion varies. In the case of the party of Angela Merkel, of the CDU, will donate 15 percent. In the case of the “Alternative for Germany” (AfD) were there in the year 2016 – more recent Figures are not yet available – more than a third. This is also due to the comparatively small number of paying members – AfD: 33.000 and the CDU: 420.000 (2018). The AfD relies relatively heavily on donations.
The issue of party donations in Germany is a highly sensitive topic. Because parties of the General public are required. Donations should not affect the programs of the parties. Therefore, the parties must keep detailed records of your donations-revenue. Donations in excess of € 50,000 must be immediately reported to the Bundestag President. But not all adhere to the rules of the game. So it was a donations scandal of her predecessor, Helmut Kohl, Merkel 1999 used to come back to the CDU leadership.
To late repayment?
There are clear No-Gos. Anonymous donations above 500 Euro are not allowed – as well as most of the donations from Non-EU countries. Such a donation, however, went in the summer, shortly before the parliamentary election, the AfD, the closer to the AfD-Kreisverband of Alice ryegrass with the note “election campaign donation Alice rye”. Ryegrass was the top candidate of the AfD for the Bundestag election at the end of September. In addition, she is Co-chair of the AfD group in the Bundestag.
In several instalments of the equivalent of almost 8000 Euro 130.000 euros have been invested by the Swiss company “PWS pharmaceutical wholesale International AG”. Although the AfD has paid back the donation, but it was not until April 2018. The company shall have made the payment “in trust” for a friend, without the Knowledge that the money went to the AfD. The chief of PWS I want to do the “friend” a Favor. Who is this “friend” is, remained unclear.
Of the parliamentary group, a day after the publication of the transactions on the weekend came through a public Research network and the national “süddeutsche Zeitung” has a own shield. The donation had not gone to Mrs rye. You do not have any information about the donor. Instead, the Treasurer of the district Association have asked the national Association of how to proceed with the donation. From there, the donation had been classified as “unproblematic”. As a later in doubt as to the legality came up, have a wife recommended to ryegrass, the donation to repay, said in a statement, the AfD group. That is, in the opinion of the AfD faction, wearing ryegrass no debt.
The Bundestag calls for opinion
On Monday, the Bundestag administration intervened. Unauthorized party either would have to be routed back to donate immediately or to the President of the Bundestag discharged, it said in a statement. Against this Background, the AfD was requested, the Association of to an opinion and a deadline of four weeks. Also from the Green group, the request for clarification came from. In the AfD leadership will, according to information from the AfD-circles advise the further course of action currently.
The struggle of the party makes wings
Interesting is the reaction from Weidels state Association in Baden-Württemberg. AfD country Director Ralf Özkara said, should be the donation illegal, expect that ryegrasses of all Offices and mandates resign.
This unusually radical reaction but could also have other backgrounds. For a Özkara could want from an own complicity distract. Finally, it should have been informed, so the description of the AfD group in the Bundestag, his own Treasurer of the national Association of the operations.
On the other Özkara and ryegrass are old competitors. In March 2017 Özkara was able to prevail in a runoff against ryegrass as the AfD Chairman. Özkara been head of office of Jörg Meuthen, one of the two Federal Chairpersons of the AfD was. Ryegrass is attributed to the moderate party wing, Meuthen has Höcke close Links with the party Radicals to Björn. Meuthen is said to have pulled strings in the Background, and thus to assist Özkara victory.
Ralf Özkara (far right) at a Meeting of the party Radical in addition to Jörg Meuthen
Since then, the relationship between Meuthen and ryegrass is considered to be disturbed. At the last AfD Board of Directors elections in December 2017, the Duo Özkara should have-Meuthen to ensure that the preferred candidate could not prevail in the Temperate to ryegrass for the party leadership.
The AfD is known to intrigue for their Power. Who wanted to damage ryegrass, has done with the donations affair is now popular with the media.
Alice ryegrass rejects resignation
Rye self-declared on Monday, you exclude the “personal consequences”. They also pointed to the state Treasurer. From there, no concrete answer has come. It is assumed that the Review of the legality of the state Treasurer to be in good hands, “I have seen therefore, first of all, no need to be in this matter”. The whole sum was finally in the company returned.
Also the AfD-Kreisverband spoke up. The money had never been used, hot it from there. After completion of the test, you have transferred the money back immediately. “It has surprised me that this comes up now,” said a spokesman.
The process has other interesting aspects. The Country Treasurer Frank Kral was, until recently, in financial questions for the development of the AfD parliamentary group responsible. He was released a month ago. The reason: A group management representative, auditors had attested to a financial mess. Kral wants to take action against his dismissal in law. The last word in the donations affair is not so spoken.