While citizens are encouraged to save, the federal budget for 2023 provides for almost double the cost of entertainment compared to the pre-corona year 2019. The Federal Foreign Office in particular benefits from this.
A few business meals and gifts here, a champagne reception there – around 23 million euros are earmarked in the federal budget for 2023 for these “official expenses in special cases”, i.e. entertainment costs. Compared to the pre-Corona year 2019, those expenses have almost doubled. The taxpayers’ association sharply criticizes the way taxpayers’ money is handled.
According to him, the increase is “almost entirely attributable to the Foreign Office” – after all, 15.7 million euros would be incurred there alone for “costs of maintaining official contacts and representative obligations of employees at the foreign missions”, according to the website of the taxpayers’ association. Just 4.7 million euros were planned for this in 2019.
Total lack of transparency towards taxpayers
For taxpayers, the federal government calls the fact that entertainment expenses are incurred “naturally”. However, he advocates using these “taxpayer-financed funds ‘for official reasons in special cases’ […] to take a particularly critical look at at the moment”. After all, forecasts of a regression in prosperity across society as a whole would determine the debates.
In plain language: “At a time when the population is constantly being told that they have to tighten their belts, the ministers and their subordinates should also demonstrate their willingness to save on entertainment costs,” says the federal government for taxpayers. In addition, he criticizes the complete lack of transparency of entertainment expenses for taxpayers.
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Federal Foreign Office: increased costs due to reallocated funds
As “Focus Online” reports, the Federal Foreign Office justifies its expenses with events to maintain official contacts – such as invitations to informal discussions in small groups – or events for a larger group of guests. “Other occasions include visits by delegations and individual travelers from the German Bundestag, the Federal Government, representatives of the federal states as well as from business and culture, who are given the opportunity at events to exchange informal ideas with local people,” it goes on.
The ministry explains the enormous increase in costs with a formality: “Up to and including 2019, to cover the costs of maintaining official contacts, the employees posted to the diplomatic missions abroad were paid a flat-rate expense allowance with their salaries.” Following a recommendation from the Federal Court of Auditors, the Federal Foreign Office introduced a new system for financing contact maintenance on January 1st, 2020, so that since then event costs have been billed individually instead of a flat-rate expense allowance. In this way, financial resources should be used more efficiently.
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Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
