Markus Söder’s Helgoland trip cost Bavaria 16,000 euros

Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) on the island of Helgoland cost Bavarian taxpayers around 16,000 euros. This emerges from a response from the State Chancellery to a state parliamentary request from the SPD member of the state parliament Florian von Brunn.

Söder was accompanied on the trip at the end of August “by employees of the State Chancellery, Security Officer and members of the ‘D’Cloßbergler Hopperau EV’ costume association and the board of the Bavarian Trachtenverband”. “For the prime minister’s job visit to Helgoland, costs of EUR 15,962.02 were incurred,” says the letter from the State Chancellery, which is available to the dpa news agency.

“The work visit to Helgoland was expressed at the express and written invitation of the Helgoländer Mayor. All program points as well as the press invitation and press support were completely organized by the municipality,” said State Chancellor Florian Herrmann (CSU) as an occasion and purpose of the trip. “There was a detailed exchange on energy policy, housing shortages, the protection of sensitive natural spaces and the sustainable development of tourism with local responsibilities.”

The dialogue between the northern and southern places in Germany should continue as part of a return visit to the Helgoländer municipal council in Bavaria, Herrmann wrote and summed up: “The state government evaluates the work of work as professionally and politically sensible.”

Von Brunn criticized: “The reason of the State Chancellery is ridiculous. Because no prime minister goes to another state without the invitation of the state chief and exchanges a mayor about local topics. So on topics that do not affect it at all.” He added: “Markus Söder’s visit to Helgoland was pure PR and self -staging. This fun cost taxpayers around 16,000 euros.”

Söders had been welcomed with a large train station on the footsee island – and observed by a large media contingent. The State Chancellery was not responsible for the latter. Söder was not accompanied by any journalist, photographer and visagists, it said. There were no costs. Schleswig-Holstein’s Prime Minister Daniel Günther (CDU) was apparently not involved in the Helgoländer program and Söder’s travel plans.