Over the past few weeks, hundreds of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets to protest against the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) after they voted through proposals for stricter migration policies together with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

By so doing, the demonstrators said, the CDU had torn down the "firewall" between traditional parties and the far right that has long prevailed in Germany.

The protests were organized by a range of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) such as "Omas gegen Rechts" (Grannies against the Right), the environmental group NABU or "München ist bunt" (Munich is Diverse).

Many of the associations and initiatives involved in the protests are financed not only by donations and member fees but also by state subsidies. Charitable organizations are also eligible for tax breaks.

But legally, their situation is a tightrope walk because they are permitted to be involved in social issues but not to take sides in party politics.

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Now, if the CDU and CSU are to be believed, some NGOs have violated this principle with their protests. For this reason, the CDU/CSU finance expert, Mathias Middelberg, announced in a........

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