Politician trips
MPs are only allowed to fly economy on short-haul routes
There are new regulations for politicians’ air travel. photo
© Boris Roessler/dpa
Freedom is said to be limitless above the clouds. However, this no longer applies to members of the Bundestag for business flights of less than four hours. The rules have been tightened here.
Economy instead of business class – this will apply to the 735 members of the House of Representatives in the future Bundestag for business trips with flights of less than four hours. This is the result of the discussions between the Presidium, the Council of Elders and the parliamentary management of the parliamentary groups, according to a letter from Bundestag President Bärbel Bas (SPD). With this she informed the chairmen of the Bundestag committees about the new rules, which should lead to a reduction in expenses for business trips. The “Bild” newspaper first reported about it.
According to an overview by the President of the Bundestag, the Bundestag spent almost seven million euros on 956 trips abroad in the first half of the electoral term. This is the total cost, so in addition to flights, hotel costs are also included. The period extends from October 26, 2021 to September 30, 2023. It is noticeable that spending has increased significantly. Although the fourth quarter is missing for 2023, the costs of around 3.7 million euros were significantly higher than those for the entire year 2022, in which expenses amounted to around 3.1 million.
High savings potential
The new regulation primarily affects flights within Europe. According to a conservative estimate, the savings potential from switching from business to economy class is around half the costs, the Bundestag administration said. According to her, the MPs have so far generally flown in business class. After all: In order to “increase the quality of travel”, MPs at airports can, if available, book and bill for access to the business lounge and expedited processing at security checks.
Within Germany, MPs can get by without flights. Your equipment also includes a free BahnCard 100 from Deutsche Bahn.