The Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Olaf Scholz (SPD), has spent almost an entire month in the air since the start of the current legislature, covering a distance greater than the distance to the moon or, mathematically speaking, corresponds to about twelve orbits around the Earth.
These impressive figures stem from a response from the German Ministry of Defense to a request from the AfD parliamentary group in the Bundestag about the use of the Bundeswehr’s flight readiness, which is available to the German news agency.
As of November 7, Scholz has spent a whopping 675 hours (28 days) on planes over the past two years, covering a distance of 481,292 kilometers.
Baerbock, Habeck, Schulze and Lindner are other frequent flyers
Annalena Baerbock, the Federal Government’s Minister of Foreign Affairs (Greens), completed a similar route of 471,454 kilometers and spent almost 650 hours in the air. Other frequent flyers of the government include Economy Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) with 190,000 kilometers, Development Minister Svenja Schulze (SPD) with 157,000 kilometers and Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) with 147,000 kilometers.
A Left Party query in October revealed that as of August 31 this year, the federal government had used government aircraft and Bundeswehr helicopters for official purposes almost 1,200 times. The Federal Chancellery was the leader with 397 flights, followed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with 246 flights.
The planning effort for scheduled flights is higher
The German federal government’s frequent flyers rarely prefer scheduled flights for diplomatic missions and international meetings, as the planning effort is significantly greater.
Stephan Brandner, the parliamentary manager of the AfD faction, criticized the “extensive use of flight availability.” The German government has declared war on the internal combustion engine and aims to abolish private transport, but at the same time is taking full advantage of all its privileges.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
