Germany’s anti-globalist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has received its largest-ever donation of €1.5 million, a substantial boost ahead of next month’s federal elections. The contribution came from multimillionaire doctor Winfried Stöcker, a controversial figure who previously gained attention during the COVID-19 pandemic for developing an unapproved vaccine.
This donation, reported by Der Spiegel and registered on the Bundestag website, far surpasses the party’s prior record of €266,000, donated by entrepreneur Hartmut Issmer. Under German law, donations exceeding €35,000 must be publicly disclosed.
Stöcker, once a member of the Free Democratic Party (FDP), first supported the AfD in 2021 with a €20,000 contribution. Despite his financial backing, he has expressed mixed feelings about the party, stating, “The AfD has many good views and also spreads some bad ones.”
Since the start of the year, political donations have surged in Germany, with 47 registerable contributions recorded. Mainstream parties like the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the FDP have received the bulk of these funds, while the Social Democrats (SPD) have reported only four major donations.
Notable recent contributions include fintech company BitPanda’s €500,000 donations to the SPD, FDP, and CDU, as well as €250,000 to the CSU. Luxury luggage brand CEO Dieter Albert Richard Morszeck matched this with a €500,000 donation to the FDP. London-based financier Johannes Huth also donated €50,000 each to the CDU and FDP.
Since the collapse of Germany’s coalition government in November and the announcement of early elections, political parties have collectively amassed over €14 million in large contributions.
While the AfD’s €1.5 million donation marks a milestone for the party, it is not the largest single donation in recent history. In March last year, tech entrepreneurs Lotte Salingré and Thomas Stanger gave €4.1 million to the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), citing their commitment to peace and opposition to arms-based conflict resolution.
For the often-overlooked AfD, Stöcker’s donation is a significant windfall. The party, typically without high-profile financial supporters, is polling strongly and is projected to secure the second-largest representation in the Bundestag after next month’s election.
