Government incurred over 531,000 Euros in flight costs for EM-Games travels
For government members' flights to German National Team matches at the UEFA European Championship, costs totaling approximately 531,000 Euro have accrued. This information comes from a response by the Federal Defense Ministry to a query from the Left Group in the Bundestag, which was obtained by the AFP news agency.
According to this, Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz flew on the Defense Ministry's aircraft to four EM matches and back to Berlin.
He was accompanied by Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, and Education Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger on some occasions. Separately, Faeser and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock each used the flight escort once to attend an EM match or return from one. The Left's inquiry was initially reported on by the newspaper "Welt."
"Who causes over half a million Euro in costs for six supposed business trips is either completely irresponsible or ultimately detached," said the chairman of the Left Group in the Bundestag, Sven Lehmann, to the newspaper. The flight escort "should not be the alternative travel option for the federal government's evening entertainment program."
Lehmann added: "Probably, the flight escort is the more pleasant means of transportation for the ministers and ministers and the chancellor due to the poorly maintained trains."
The government members' flight costs for attending UEFA European Championship matches totaled approximately 531,000 Euro, as revealed in a response from the Federal Defense Ministry to a request from the Left Group in the Bundestag.
This substantial amount sparked criticism from Linken's chairman, Sven Lehmann, who questioned the necessity of EM-Games flights, suggesting they were either irresponsible or a frivolous use of funds.
Lehmann further commented that the flight escort should not serve as an alternative transportation option for the government's social events, and instead, suggested that the poorly maintained trains might be the reason for ministers' preference for flight escorts.
The AFP news agency obtained this information, which initially came to light in the "Welt" newspaper.
