After calls for protests against the far-right: Union questions funding of NGOs

The Union faction in the Bundestag has launched an inquiry into the funding of non-governmental organizations, several of which called for the recent demonstrations against the right. The minor inquiry entitled "Political neutrality of state-supported organizations" asks hundreds of questions about organizations such as Omas gegen Rechts, BUND and Greenpeace. The Left faction criticized the inquiry as a "frontal attack" on democracy, and several associations expressed outrage.

The questions asked in the inquiry include: “What proportion of the financial resources of the association Omas gegen Rechts Deutschland come from state funding programs?” And: “Are there direct connections between the association Omas gegen Rechts Deutschland e. V. and certain parties or political actors?” The questions about the other politically active organizations are similar.

For the Left Party, the background is clear: "With a parliamentary inquiry, the Union is taking revenge for the anti-fascist protests of the last few weeks and at the same time launching an unprecedented attack on democratic civil society," explained MP Clara Bünger. "This is reminiscent of authoritarian states and is extremely worrying given the fact that the Union will in all probability lead the next federal government."

Attac: “Fight against the far-right is obviously a thorn in the side of the Union”

The questions of the Union faction also relate, among others, to the research network Correctiv, the Campact network, the anti-globalization network Attac, the Amadeu Antonio Foundation, the animal rights organization Peta, the organization Animal Rights Watch, the organization Foodwatch, the German Environmental Aid, Agora Agrar, Agora Energiewende, the Research network and the association New German Media Makers.

"This request shows that the feared major attack on emancipatory civil society under a Merz government has begun," Attac said in response to the request. "The commitment to social justice and the fight against the far-right are obviously a thorn in the side of the Union," it continued. "With a campaign supported by the Springer press, the Union is attempting to deliberately discredit actors in democratic civil society." The Union is thus continuing a course of action that it began ten years ago with the withdrawal of Attac's non-profit status.

Green European politician Sergey Lagodinsky also criticized the Union's approach. "This request is an attack on free civil society in Germany," he wrote on the online service X. This was a "very bad omen for the next four years on the day after election day." Lagodinsky spoke of "almost Trump-like conditions."