Party financing: control yes, but in moderation

It is correct that the Federal Constitutional Court controls party financing. But not too strict. Privately funded party politics can also be problematic. Parties must not become political assets.

Politicians in Germany are party politicians and not just political stars. An uncomfortable party base is part of a vibrant democracy. And it’s under pressure worldwide: from Trump’s Republicans to the Austrian ÖVP under Sebastian Kurz, parties are becoming pure electoral associations of power-hungry populists faster than you think.

Parties have to stand on their own two feet, have to be self-confident places of democracy, from the local association to the party congress. And for that they need money. The only problem is that those who decide on state money for parties are usually party politicians themselves. They sit as members of parliament and as party politicians in the Bundestag. It must not become a self-service shop.

Parties do not belong to the state – and vice versa

The Federal Constitutional Court emphasized this again today. It has set limits on parties giving themselves whatever government money they want. An important principle: parties do not belong to the state and the state does not belong to the parties. There must be control, but it must not be too strict.

In 2018, the parties wanted more money for digitization and more inner-party democracy. Important matters that cost money. Politics is increasingly taking place online, and parties need to protect themselves against hackers and Putin trolls and fake news. The constitutional court must not exaggerate the control over the necessary party financing. Because, as I said, parties are the experimental laboratories of democracy and not just electoral associations.

Preventing private money from deciding too much

The basic problem will always remain. When the Bundestag decides on state party funding, the members of parliament also decide on their own behalf. Extraordinary money for parties must be justified and calculated very precisely. Karlsruhe rightly demands this. But we always have to remember that there is also a benefit when parties have a say in state funding and a third of party funds continue to come from the state coffers.

This prevents too much private money from deciding too much; that parties become the political assets of the Trumps or Orbans, who are given too much power by financially powerful media moguls or entrepreneurs with lots of money. Private money in politics can be just as dangerous as state money when party politicians pass it on to each other.