The Federal Chancellery has defended its decision not to take Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer in the government aircraft of the Chancellor to the United States. According to SPIEGEL information, Chancellor Helge Braun said in a confidential meeting of the Committee on Budgets that there were "certain customs" for the Chancellor's travels, so Kramp-Karrenbauer and her mini-delegation did not fly along in the A340 of the Chancellor last weekend to let.
The dispute over the trip of party friends made headlines. Thus, on Sunday afternoon, two Jets of the Luftwaffe, the Chancellor's white VIP plane and a gray troop transport for the commander of the Bundeswehr, left Berlin-Tegel at around 4 pm for the United States. Merkel wanted to go to the UN in New York, Kramp-Karrenbauer to visit her US counterpart in Washington. It was pretty empty in the gray jet, with plenty of room for a delegation of eleven people in the good two hundred seats. With Merkel also many places remained free.
At first the journey was planned differently. Kramp-Karrenbauer wanted to fly with Merkel to New York. As the white A340 of the Air Force is not allowed to stop at Kennedy Airport anyway, the Minister would have flown with him to Washington and then returned to Berlin with Lufthansa. Kramp-Karrenbauer also saw a symbol in the creative hands-on solution that, shortly after the Climate Cabinet, the government also traveled on official dates when flying economic but above all climate-friendly services.
But the idea failed at the Chancellery. A few days before departure, the Chancellor's Office informed the Wehrressort that it was not possible to travel with the small delegation. The reason given was a lack of space in the chancellor's jet. The officials and later the minister were somewhat disturbed. Immediately offered to reduce the delegation even further, even the three traveling journalists should not be taken urgently. But it did not help, the Chancellery remained with his line.
An hour's flight costs between 24,000 and 35,000 euros
Kramp-Karrenbauer had to reschedule and organized the troop transport, which usually brings soldiers to Mali and Afghanistan. At the latest when the "Bild am Sonntag" reported on page one about the process, then left in the Wehrressort then no longer doubt who was responsible for the separate flight. A day later, the spokeswoman for the Chancellor worthlessly had to justify the flight madness, a reason for the separate trips but could not call them.
Helge Braun's comments were similarly vague, according to participants in the committee. As a "certain custom" he described that in the chancellor jet from time to time individual ministers travel with the chancellor, but not entire delegations. The difference between Kramp-Karrenbauer, her adjutant, two spokespersons, her office manager, the political director, an interpreter and two bodyguards remained unanswered.
Chancellor is likely to regret Flugposse meanwhile
Braun also had to admit on demand that there is no formal reason for refusing to fly, because for example at NATO summits or consultations with other governments, several ministers plus a delegation always fly with the chancellor. He also contradicted rumors that Chancellor Merkel should not travel for reasons of national security with the owner of the command and command authority. The committee later said that Merkel's office chief had appeared "waxy soft".
Away from the climate issue, the trip to the US was not cheap for the taxpayer. According to SPIEGEL information costs an hour of flight of a government machine between 24,000 and 35,000 euros, according to internal documents of the Air Force. The additional aircraft, now known only as "empty jet", for the trip Kramp-Karrenbauers has therefore cost at least 360,000 euros. The Greens also talked about ridiculous vanities in the government.
What the chancellor thinks about the posse, is not known, but now she should certainly regret the decision. So speculated the "Bild" because of the unsightly Ausausladung Kramp-Karren Bauerers wordy about a rift between Merkel and her successor as CDU chief. Even though the rumors do not have much substance, the US trip with two separate airplanes will always be called when it comes to the relationship of the two powerful women.
