GERMAN CHANCELLOR Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) have been heavily criticised ahead of a crucial state election for selling political donors access to important party figures.

Mr Hendrick Wüst, CDU party secretary in North-Rhine Westphalia (NRW) resigned yesterday after he offered would-be donors a €20,000 “partner package” that included talks with state premier Jürgen Rüttgers during an upcoming party conference.

For €14,000, donors could have a picture taken with Mr Rüttgers and his cabinet while for €6,000 a general meeting with the politicians would be arranged.

“The North Rhine-Westphalia CDU offers you the opportunity to present your company at our state party conference and to enter into a dialogue with politicians and the media,” wrote the CDU in a letter to potential sponsors.

The allegations are damaging for the CDU ahead of the election as it fights to retain power in Germany’s most popular state. The NRW election holds the balance of power for Dr Merkel’s CDU in the upper house, the Bundesrat, representing Germany’s 16 federal states.

If the CDU is ousted from power in NRW, Dr Merkel’s Berlin government loses its ability to push through policy into law.

Mr Rüttgers distanced himself from the letters, saying he was not aware of the policy.

“No such bilateral conversations for money have ever taken place,” said Mr Rüttgers. “The hundreds of meetings I have with people every week free of charge should tell you that the accusations are nonsense.”

But opposition leaders have questioned this, saying a similar policy existed before the 2006 poll. Then, the asking price for a meeting with Mr Rüttgers, then opposition leader, was €14,000.

“This is a real scandal,” said Mr Michael Groschek, general secretary of the opposition Social Democrats. “You can actually rent Jürgen Rüttgers if you’ve got the cash.”