Bonn

CRITICS OF GERMANY’S FREE DEMOCRATIC PARTY have derisively joked that the “F” in FDP stands for “fun” and that the “Fun Party” only tells voters what they want to hear. But what if it turned out the party really did know how to have a good time? The only way to find out was by attending their last official rally before Sunday’s national elections.

The event started out promisingly enough at Bonn’s museum of art–the site for a pre-rally fundraising reception. High-end supporters mingle with party leaders amid the Kölsch beers (a Bonn specialty) and stuffed salmon pastries. Some of these donors are long-time FDP members, others are young business entrepreneurs. There is no limit to the amount one person can give (the record for the FDP was set in 1983 by an owner of warehouses who donated about 6 million Deutsche marks). Parties must publicly disclose, however, when someone gives more than 10,000 euros. And under no circumstance can anyone offer cash. Some years ago, officials at FDP’s main headquarters discovered an envelope containing 1,010 DM, cash. After careful deliberations, it was decided the money must be presented to the German president who serves as an arbiter in such delicate matters. Had the party members kept it, they would have violated the law, even if the cash was anonymous. (The whole affair turned out to be a set-up: An unnamed individual later phoned the FDP asking what they did with the cash.) Despite such fortunes, the FDP as well as the Christian and Social Democrats have all been embroiled in one campaign finance scandal or another. “It is a dirty business,” says one German political consultant.