As of: March 23, 2024, 7:55 p.m
By: Nadja Zinsmeister
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Louis Klamroth caused a stir with a statement.
He spoke out against first class on the railway - but at the same time he likes to use it personally.
Munich – As the host of the
ARD
talk show “Hart aber Fair”, Louis Kamroth is now familiar with criticism surrounding himself.
He repeatedly comes under fire on social media after controversial statements or moderations.
Now Klamroth is causing a lot of excitement after a conversation with
Deutschlandfunk (DLF)
, which was published on Wednesday (March 20th).
The reason: He would like to abolish first class on trains, but he likes to use it himself.
ARD presenter Louis Klamroth likes to travel first class on the train - but wants to abolish it
In a conversation with
DLF
reporter Korbinian Frenzel, Klamroth said: “I am in favor of abolishing first class at Deutsche Bahn.
And I say that as someone who often travels first class on the train.” According to the moderator’s own statement, this level of transparency is necessary.
He recalled numerous situations in which he traveled “quite relaxed” in first class on Deutsche Bahn, while second class was literally overcrowded.
“Hard but Fair” moderator Louis Klamroth calls for the abolition of first class on trains.
(Archive photo) © Carsten Koall/dpa
Especially during strikes, he noticed how sometimes guests without seats were asked to get out while first class remained free.
There are strict regulations as to what rights train passengers are entitled to in the event of an overcrowded train.
If Klamroth had his way, things wouldn't continue like this.
At least in crowded situations, passengers in second class should switch to first class at no extra charge, believes the
ARD
presenter.
Until then, the on-board restaurant will apparently remain the only point of contact between the two classes: “At the moment, the on-board bistro is, so to speak, the connecting part between first and second class.
The two worlds meet a little bit there.
It would be nicer if we met all the time.”
Abolish first class on Deutsche Bahn?
Klamroth's statement causes heated discussions
Klamroth's statement was met with strong criticism.
On the one hand, because many people don't want to give up first class.
“I would like to have some peace and quiet after a stressful week and then I don’t need the bowling club or the school trip around me,” commented a user on an X post about the Klamroth interview.
Others argue that you don't necessarily have to feel like someone better in first class: "The extra charge buys additional services such as peace and quiet, space and service."
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But criticism also came from a completely different direction.
Many people, especially on the news platform X, expressed their dismay about Klamroth.
Why does someone travel first class if they want to abolish it?
“Klamroth’s statement is elitist to begin with.
“He doesn’t seem to notice,” tweeted CSU politician Christian Lenz on the subject on Friday (March 22).
An editor of the
Neue Zürcher Zeitung
wrote: “The journalist Klamroth could of course simply book a second class ticket.
But his desire for encounters with the precariat doesn’t go quite that far.”
Other users accuse Klamroth, who is dating climate activist Luisa Neubauer, of “double standards” and “arrogance” because of his statements.
“Of course, such champagne socialists never come up with the idea of abolishing second class so that everyone travels first class,” criticizes one user sharply.
Klamroth comes under criticism because of his “first class” statement – this is how his interlocutor reacts
And how did his conversation partner Korbinian Frenzel react?
He emphasized that all business trips for the
DLF
are booked in second class on Deutsche Bahn.
At the same time, he admitted: The peace and quiet in first class is something nice.
“Of course, this works primarily because it is rarely completely full,” he noted.
It is therefore a “difficult logic”.
There is often only space and peace in first class if the majority of people sit in second class.
Meanwhile, the discussion that has started doesn't seem to have any impact on real decisions anyway.
The last time the issue came up specifically in politics was in 2022. At that time, the Greens in Lower Saxony called for first class on regional trains to be abolished in order to create more seats.
Opposing voices argued that this would hardly create more capacity.
(nz)