Suche
Mein Konto
Lower Saxony CDU parliamentary group: Criticism of expensive trip to South Africa!
The CDU parliamentary group from Lower Saxony is traveling to South Africa from May 24th to 31st. Criticism of political benefits and costs.
Lower Saxony CDU parliamentary group: Criticism of expensive trip to South Africa!
The CDU parliamentary group in the Lower Saxony state parliament is starting its controversial trip to South Africa today. The MPs will spend until May 31 in the Eastern Cape partner region. A total of 33 of 47 group members will take part in the six-day trip, the cost of which will be around 3,000 euros per person, over half of which will be covered privately. The remaining costs will be financed from the group funds.
This trip has already raised public doubts about its political utility. Critics suspect that the focus is more on pleasure than serious political exchange. However, the CDU defends the trip and emphasizes that there will be a total of 20 planned appointments with political, social and economic representatives. This argument is intended to reinforce the legitimacy of the trip and refute the concerns of critics.
Criticism and comparison to other trips
The comparison to an earlier trip raises additional questions: In 2018, the then Prime Minister Stephan Weil (SPD) also visited South Africa, which is seen as a precedent. This background information is relevant because other factions are also planning trips. The SPD parliamentary group is planning a trip to Paris and Le Havre from June 2nd to 6th, with an expected cost of around 2,000 euros per person. So far 41 out of 57 MPs have registered.
The Greens, on the other hand, are moving their closed meeting to Brussels from June 2nd to 4th. The cost is around 560 euros per person, and all 24 MPs have registered for it. The AfD has meanwhile announced that it is not planning any trips outside of its annual retreat, but little is known about the details so far.
It remains to be seen how the situation will develop for the CDU parliamentary group. The public debate surrounding the trip to South Africa highlights the different approaches that different political groups take when using party funds. Further details on the topic and the travels of the other factions can be found at cdultnds.de.