Overview

• The foundation filed its 2026 funding application with the Bundesinnenministerium under the 2023 Stiftungsfinanzierungsgesetz after the AfD secured its third consecutive Bundestag entry.
• The law grants public support to party-affiliated foundations only if they demonstrate active commitment to the free democratic basic order and international understanding.
• The AfD remains classified as a “gesichert rechtsextremistische Bestrebung” by the Verfassungsschutz, a designation currently contested at the Cologne administrative court and critical to the foundation’s eligibility.
• Chair Erika Steinbach asserts the foundation stands fully on the Grundgesetz and intends to organize up to 1,200 events annually, hire 70 staffers and launch a scholarship program with the funds.
• Linke budget spokesman Dietmar Bartsch demands that any disbursement await the outcome of the extremism proceedings, arguing there is no basis for funding until the court rules.