After criticism
“Use less fuel than any company car”: Merz defends private flight to Lindner’s wedding
CDU leader Friedrich Merz and his wife Charlotte came to Sylt with their private plane for the wedding of Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP).
© Axel Heimken / DPA
CDU leader Friedrich Merz was sharply criticized for his private flight to Sylt. Now he has justified himself. His plane is fuel efficient.
CDU leader Friedrich Merz has defended his journey to the wedding of Finance Minister Christian Lindner by private plane. He does not regret having traveled by plane, said Merz on Sunday in the ZDF “summer interview”. “To put it in a nutshell: I use less fuel with this small plane than any member of the federal government’s company car. And that’s why I fly.” He mainly uses his plane for professional purposes. “I stand by it and it’s, if you will, an old dream of mine. Always has been.”
The pictures of Merz and his wife Charlotte made headlines in early July. The CDU leader drove the machine himself to Sylt, where FDP leader Lindner and political reporter Franca Lehfeldt got married.
Federal Minister of Agriculture Cem Özdemir (Greens) replied on Twitter on Sunday evening. As a member of the federal government addressed by Friedrich Merz, he allows himself a quick fact check: “My company car is an electric car and therefore does not consume any fuel at all. Neither does my bike,” wrote Özdemir and posted a wink smiley.
