Far-right political party, AfD, seeks public funds while maintaining associations with extreme right-wing circles
The Desiderius-Erasmus Foundation, a party-affiliated organisation with ties to the Alternative for Germany (AfD), is under scrutiny as the Federal Ministry of the Interior examines its application for state funding.
The Ministry, along with the Foreign Office, the Education, and the Development Ministry, are the main funders of party-affiliated foundations. However, the eligibility of the Desiderius-Erasmus Foundation for funding is being questioned.
The foundation's connection to the AfD, a political party that has been elected to the Bundestag for the third time, raises concerns. Notable AfD politicians such as Joachim Paul and Jurij Kofner have given lectures for the foundation, and Gernot Mørig, a far-right activist, has been identified as one of its guests.
Mørig, known for his network within the far-right scene, became nationally recognized through the CORRECTIV research "Secret Plan against Germany". He also hosted a meeting in Potsdam in November 2023, where high-ranking AfD functionaries, right-wing extremists, entrepreneurs, and CDU members discussed the concept of "Remigration".
"Remigration" is a controversial concept that aims to expel millions of people from Germany, including German citizens with a migrant background.
The Office for the Protection of the Constitution and the courts have evaluated this concept as hostile to the constitution. Karlheinz Weißmann, co-founder of the right-wing extremist "Institute for State Policy", was the honorary chairman of the Desiderius-Erasmus Foundation in 2021.
Markus Ogorek, Director of the Institute for Public Law at the University of Cologne, believes that there are compelling reasons to believe that the Desiderius Erasmus Foundation is not eligible for funding under the law. The classification of the AfD as securely right-wing extremist could provide a significant basis for excluding the foundation from state funding.
If the Desiderius-Erasmus-Stiftung does not receive funding, it will appeal to the administrative court. Erika Steinbach, the chairwoman of the foundation and former member of the Bundestag, is hosting a garden party scheduled for May 18th in Frankfurt-Eckenheim. Among the guests at the party are a shoe entrepreneur, a right-libertarian publicist, and a well-known far-right activist.
Gerhard Papke, former faction leader of the FDP in North Rhine-Westphalia and president of the German-Hungarian Society, is also expected to attend the event as a private guest. Papke is against "mass immigration", the "unrelenting power grab of woke ideologues", and "Brussels centralism".
The examination of the foundation's application for funding lies solely with the Federal Ministry of the Interior. Rudolf Mellinghoff, a former Federal Constitutional Court judge, believes that the Desiderius-Erasmus-Stiftung will not receive state funding. The result of the examination applies to all departments.
Erika Steinbach, however, insists that the event does not contain any reference to the Desiderius Erasmus Foundation. Steinbach invites guests to the house concert as a private person. The Desiderius Erasmus Foundation has not received any state subsidies so far.
