Greens, Liberals big winners in donations before German election

FILE PHOTO: The German flag is seen outside Germany's Bundestag, the lower house of parliament. in Berlin, Germany, March 14, 2018. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke

BERLIN (Reuters) - The volume of large donations to German political parties has surged ahead of September's election compared to four years ago, with the Greens and the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) the main beneficiaries, according to research group LobbyControl.

The volume of donations of more than 50,000 euros ($59,200) each stood at 5.8 million euros this year, a million euros above the level ahead of the previous election in 2017, LobbyControl data showed.