Taylor Swift's contributions are significantly enriching the proceedings at the wagon party.
The "Wagenknecht Alliance" (WA) is an astonishing political occurrence. Its electoral victory is taking on nation-altering proportions. However, there are numerous colorful and suspicious aspects of the party, including the source of a stunning mega-donation?
This "Alliance" is the most successful political startup in the republic, achieving unprecedented success in a mere year. Founded in January, it secured double-digit results in three consecutive state elections - in Thuringia, Saxony, and Brandenburg, it even surpassed established parties. In Thuringia and Saxony, it even outperformed the SPD, and in Brandenburg, the CDU. Forming governments without the WA is almost impossible. Moreover, the WA has dealt a severe blow to the Left Party, virtually pushing it into obscurity.
The WA's staggering success can be attributed to the critical crisis of acceptance for the coalition government and the growing protest mood in Germany. On the other hand, it stems from the charisma of Sahra Wagenknecht and her ability to mix right- and left-wing populist positions. She seems to embody the iron theory, which argues that right- and left-wing extremist positions share more commonalities with each other than with the democratic center. Like the AfD, she advocates for stringent immigration policies and also supports a pro-Russian, anti-NATO stance in the Ukraine question. She even shares the right-wing populists' disdain for gender politics.
Kevin Kühnert raises queries
The astonishing success of the party is puzzling given its vague manifesto and frail organizational structure. In several federal states, WA still lacks associations. The WA has a negligible workforce but boasts a captivating, namesake chairwoman who has garnered a career as a neo-communist and DDR nostalgic. This raises important questions about the WA's true financial backers.
A sensational mega-donation from a couple in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has sparked intrigue. The 5.08 million euros from Thomas Stanger and Lotte Salingrè are the largest individual donations to a party in the last 20 years. Kevin Kühnert, the SPD's general secretary, provocativelyquestioned the origins of these two donors in an Instagram video, suggesting the WA might be a "cardboard party" funded by Moscow. Rumors of Russian ties persist, with speculation that the money might stem from missing SED millions or even directly from Russian intelligence services.
High numbers and a Russian name
According to official documentation from the Bundestag President, Thomas Stanger transferred 990,000 euros to the WA on January 8, followed by another installment of 4.09 million euros on March 9. The donor leads a comfortable, low-key lifestyle in Klütz near Wismar. He attributes his donations to his pro-Russia sentiment and opposition to arms deliveries to Ukraine.
An investigation is now underway to trace the financial sources of Thomas Stanger and his 30 percent stake in the Danish LED manufacturer Brother, Brother & Sons (BB&S). The company has a Russian name, leading to suspicions of Russian involvement, especially since the company is in debt and lacks the financial means to justify such large donations. Stanger is already being accused of laundering money for Moscow and promoting Putin's propaganda on social media.
Thus far, Stanger has remained silent on the origins of the money. In an interview with the editorial network Germany (RND) in January, he simply stated, "We come from the high-tech industry. I co-founded a company and am still a shareholder. We were lucky to meet the right people at the right time and had the right idea. For years, we have also used a portion of our wealth to support organizations advocating for peace, social justice, and climate protection."
Recently, the couple Stanger/Salingré has addressed the allegations in an interview with t-online ("We earned the money."), confirming the sources of their wealth uncovered by t-online. The money originates from the globally successful company "MA Lighting Technology GmbH" in Waldbüttelbrunn near Würzburg. Stanger is indeed a co-founder of the company, which provides lighting control technology for large-scale shows and concerts - including concerts by renowned artists like Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, or Coldplay.
MA Lighting is a profitable enterprise, consistently generating high revenues. Apparently, it provides generous returns to shareholders, as reported by t-online. Stanger is still one of the shareholders, despite having withdrawn from the business years ago. "We built this company in a garage," Stanger claims today. "And it seems we had a good nose for things." Incidentally, they had already made donations to the association "BSW - For Reason and Justice e.V." before the two transfers to the party. This association received 20,000 euros each from Stanger and Salingré at the end of 2023. The total donation amount of the couple to Wagenknecht is therefore larger than previously known.
If the portrayal is accurate, the funds aren't sourced from Moscow but rather from the radiant stages of renowned world performers. This spectacle is meticulously depicted through a German small to medium-sized enterprise. It's all gleaming.
Despite the WA's financial transparency concerns, the source of the 5.08 million euro mega-donation from Thomas Stanger and Lotte Salingrè has been clarified. The funds originate from their successful company, MA Lighting Technology GmbH, which provides lighting control technology for major concerts and events. This revelation has put to rest rumors of Russian ties or money laundering associated with the donation.
The Party donations continue to play a significant role in funding the Wagenknecht Alliance, and with this clarification, the controversy surrounding the large donation has been largely resolved.
