25 minutes agoMerkel after leaving office, Germany pays 55 thousand euros for makeup and hair
Periskopi(3 years ago)
(3 years ago)Germany has spent 55 thousand euros on the hair and makeup of former Chancellor Merkel since she left the post. The German government has spent almost 55 thousand euros on the hair and makeup of former German cancellara Merkel since she left office in 2021. Despite leaving Germany's top post almost two years ago, [...]
Despite leaving Germany's main post almost two years ago, Merkel is still fatising the federal government some expenses, according to documents obtained by Tagesspiegel through a request for access to public documents, the Reporter Online.net submits.
Merkel, according to an earlier report by Tagesspiegel, did not keep her former designer, who had her for a long time, but now relies on a new self-employed hair and makeup designer who also works as Berlin-based designer. The government pays Merkel's hair and makeup for both public and private commitments. So far it has collected bills worth 17 thousand and 200 euros for 2023, in addition to a bill of 37 thousand and 780 euros in 2022.
“Determination of costs is linked to carrying out continued official tasks regardless of whether they are public or not”, German Chancellor for Tagesspigel said.
Increasing the costs of officials' hair and cosmetic services has sparked some criticism in the past, with the president of the Taxpayers' Association, Reiner Holznagel, saying the costs should be reduced to minimum and, in case of doubt, paid privately”.
The current German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also does not save spending on his public appearance, Tagesspiegel reported. So far for this year, Chancellorial representatives have spent 21 thousand and 808 euros on hair and makeup expenses, while the figure had reached 39 thousand and 910 euros in 2022.
Numbers from a parliamentary investigation earlier this year had shown that the expenses for photographers, hairs and makeup artists rose to about 1.5m euros in the first year of the Scholz government in 2022. That was almost 80 percent more than in 2021, the last year of Merkel's government.
Last week, State Bavaria leader Markus Söder became a hit in media headlines when it was reported that his office had spent about 180 thousand euros on independent photographers only in 2022. This was in addition to 38,000 euros a year for a photographer who was engaged in permanent work.
