Football and politics - Half a million Euros for government flights to the Football EM
The flights of the German government to matches of the German National Football Team at the European Championship cost 531,000 Euro, according to the Defense Ministry's statements. This includes six flights of the Bundeswehr Air Force for Chancellor Olaf Scholz and several members of his cabinet to attendance. The most expensive flight cost 114,487.41 Euro from Berlin to Stuttgart and back for the Germany-Hungary game on June 19.
The numbers and data come from a response of the Defense Ministry to a question by Green Party Bundestag member Sven Lehmann, which was reported by "Welt". The response is available from the German Press Agency. Lehmann sharply criticized the high costs.
Chancellor orders ministers to fly
Four of the six mentioned flight connections were ordered by the Chancellery, while other cabinet members such as Interior Minister Nancy Faeser or Health Minister Karl Lauterbach flew. These flights cost around the hundred thousand Euros each.
A flight ordered by the Interior Ministry to the Germany-Scotland game with stops in Frankfurt am Main, Munich, and Berlin cost 55,306.97 Euro; a flight from Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock from Frankfurt to Luxembourg after the Switzerland-Germany game cost 47,039.98 Euro, according to the ministry's response.
"Irresponsible or elitist"
"Who causes costs of over half a million Euro for six alleged business trips is either completely irresponsible or ultimately elitist," said Lehne, Chairman of the Left Group in the Bundestag, to "Welt". The Air Force should not "be the alternative means of transportation for the Bundesregierung's evening entertainment program." He probably assumed that the Air Force was used instead of the underfunded railways for the ministers and the chancellor.
The Defense Ministry states in its response that it concerns a "full cost calculation of the respectively deployed aircraft (including personnel costs)". The flight hours are covered in the Bundeswehr's annual program and are used "for the purpose of maintaining the license/purchase of aircraft pilots". In other words, some costs and flight hours would have been necessary anyway.
Criticism of "Honorary Cards" for Chancellor's wife
Green Party Bundestag member Christian Görke also criticized that Chancellor Scholz had taken his wife Britta Ernst to the football matches and had used "Honorary Cards" for this. "While real fans had to dig deep into their pockets, Mrs. Ernst sat multiple times in premium seats – and that for free or at the expense of the general public," complained Görke. He demanded that Ernst pay the costs.
However, the government's response to Görke's written inquiry states: "It has been customary practice for decades for the heads of constitutional bodies of the Federal Republic of Germany to be allowed to be accompanied by their partners or partners to attendance events. Based on this customary practice, Mrs. Ernst accompanied the Federal Chancellor to the European Football Championship matches."
- The German Football-National team's matches at the European Football Championship took place in various cities across Europe.
- Karl Lauterbach, the Health Minister, was among the cabinet members who attended some of the Germany National Football Team's matches during the European Championship.
- Nancy Faeser, the Interior Minister, also traveled to witness certain Germany National Football Team matches during the European Football Championship.
- The German Press Agency reported the costs of the German government's flights to attend the Germany National Football Team's matches at the European Football Championship.
- The Federal Assembly expressed concerns about the high costs associated with the German government's flights to attend the Germany National Football Team's matches at the European Football Championship.
- Olaf Scholz, the Federal Chancellor, ordered several ministers to fly to attend the Germany National Football Team's matches at the European Football Championship.
- The German government's flights to attend the Germany National Football Team's matches at the European Football Championship included stops at airports in cities like Frankfurt am Main, Munich, Berlin, and Stuttgart.
- The Federal Army's Air Force was responsible for the transportation of the German government officials to attend the Germany National Football Team's matches at the European Football Championship.
- Critics argue that the government could have used more cost-effective means of transportation, such as commercial flights or trains, to attend the Germany National Football Team's matches at the European Football Championship rather than relying on the Federal Army's Air Force.
