Last year, the Bavarian state parliament spent 2.14 million euros on its own events and receptions, such as the large summer reception at the magnificent Schleissheim Palace complex near Munich. According to the state parliament, spending has increased significantly compared to the time before Corona – in 2019, spending in this area was 1.72 million euros.
The summer reception in Schleißheim is one of the social highlights in Bavaria every year. Last July, State Parliament President Ilse Aigner (CSU) invited more than 3,000 guests, including Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) at the top. MPs, cabinet members, representatives of the judiciary, churches and religious communities as well as from the areas of culture and sport come to the event.
As always, volunteers from all over Bavaria were also invited. The reception was canceled during the 2020 and 2021 pandemic. In addition, according to the state parliament speaker, the expenses mentioned also included other regularly recurring receptions of the state parliament, including the receptions after the memorial act for the victims of National Socialism, after the constitutional celebrations, after the awarding of art and science prizes, receptions in connection with the anniversaries of deserving outstanding personalities as well as the Citizens’ receptions during trips by the state parliament presidium to the regions of the Free State. Speakers, musical performances and technology would also be paid for.
The state government also spent significantly more money on receptions last year than before the pandemic. While the costs for galas, state receptions or representative dinners amounted to around 2.9 million euros in 2019, last year it was more than 4.5 million euros Augsburger Allgemeine reported last week. When it comes to state receptions, the State Chancellery is at the forefront, investing more than 2.7 million euros in 2023.