Press
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is receiving harsh criticism. After a European Championship match, the Green Party member makes use of a special permit – and circumvents a ban on night flights.
Frankfurt – Government trip to the stadium: Not only the Chancellor is sitting on the main stand of the Frankfurt Arena, but also Bundestag President Bärbel Bas and two traffic light ministers. Dressed in sporty attire, wearing the latest white Germany jersey, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) and Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) are eagerly following the European Championship soccer match. Germany against Switzerland. The traffic light coalition – at least part of it – is in European Championship fever. The redemption on this match evening only comes in the 92nd minute. Niclas Füllkrug heads the equalizer and the German national team wins the group. So far, so good.
What is now causing a stir, however, is the departure of the political guests from Berlin. Not only Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) got on the plane afterwards, but also the Foreign Minister – despite the night flight ban already in place at Frankfurt Airport.
Baerbock’s night flight causes controversy
Between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m., no planes are allowed to take off or land at Germany’s largest airport. In individual cases, a plane can take off until midnight – but only with special permission. After that, it’s over for good – for the sake of the residents and their night’s rest. This regulation has been in place since 2011 and the Greens in Hesse always insist on it vehemently. They campaigned on it, called for a tightening of the time limit (to 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.) and rejected exceptions for the European Football Championship.
Against this background, the night flight of the Green Foreign Minister has a particularly bad taste. Her plane took off on June 23 at 11:54 p.m., as the Picture reported. The Chancellor’s plane took off at 11.39 p.m. This means that there was a special permit for both flights. The Hessian Ministry of Economic Affairs confirmed to the newspaper: “The authorities recognized the public interest for both flights.” A privilege that the Hessian Greens did not want to grant to the football players, for example.
Was the flight even necessary? Scholz went back to Berlin. Baerbock went to the meeting of EU foreign ministers in neighboring Luxembourg. As the crow flies, it was 184 kilometers, and the flight took about 35 minutes.
Criticism from the opposition: “Why did Ms Baerbock have to be at the game in Frankfurt?”
Criticism is now pouring in from all sides. “With the TGV, it takes 3.5 hours to get there,” says CDU politician Serap Güler. “Is that still double standards or is it decadence?” The AfD is asking why the foreign minister is even on official business, i.e. with the air force of the armed forcestravels to football matches.
The uncomprehending coalition partner also takes this line. “Why did Ms Baerbock have to be at the game in Frankfurt?” asks FDP Vice Wolfgang Kubicki at World TV“Putting people off the idea of flying and then circumventing the night flight ban,” criticises Stefan Naas, chairman of the Hessian FDP parliamentary group.
The next time she visits a stadium – perhaps on Friday in Stuttgart – Baerbock would be better off taking the train. She hasn’t had much luck with her broken-down government plane lately anyway.
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