The German AfD party receives millions in public funding
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is receiving millions in public funding despite being under surveillance for right-wing extremism. From 2025 to early 2029, the party is set to receive around 500 million euros (580 million dollars) to support its parliamentary and party activities.
Members of the AfD benefit from the state-approved party funding system. For every vote the party receives in elections, the state receives nearly one euro. Additionally, for every euro donated by citizens, the state adds 45 cents. In 2025 alone, the AfD collected 12.78 million euros from public party funding, while the ruling Christian Democratic Union (CDU) received 54 million euros.
The largest part of the funding comes from parliamentary work. After the federal elections in 2025, with 152 members in the Bundestag, AfD deputies receive about 82 million euros annually for salaries, office expenses, and staff. The party also has more than 200 representatives in state parliaments, which increases its state-funded income.
Funding is controversial because the AfD is classified as extremist in three federal states and is under surveillance by domestic intelligence due to right-wing extremism. Critics warn that taxpayer money supports politicians and officials, some of whom have neo-Nazi backgrounds, who oppose democratic and multicultural values in Germany.
Experts say that public funding has helped the AfD build significant influence, especially online. The party has invested in communication infrastructure and in a "news room" within the Bundestag to enhance its digital presence. Political researcher Stephan Keilitz describes this as a paradox: the state funds a party whose ideology is considered a threat to democracy, raising legal and ethical questions under the German constitution.