“More budget discipline” – Corriere.it

from our reporter
BERLIN – After years of preaching and imposing fiscal austerity on European governments, Angela Merkel has exacted her revenge. The former chancellor must save money by reducing office and staff expenses owed to her by law and paid out of taxpayer money. The German government urged Merkel for “greater budgetary discipline” and called on her to downsize the structure that has helped her since Kanzleramt left.

reveal it Der SpiegelQuoting a report from the Ministry of Finance. According to the document, the position and benefits of the former adviser are not related to status, but to “performance of institutional duties and duties”, and therefore “cannot be used for private purposes, let alone for additional income”, such as the wages of speeches. Furthermore it, Reimbursement for travel costs can be claimed “only when the former Chancellor travels on behalf and for the benefit of the Federal Republic”. The report did not mention any examples, but it is known that Merkel’s first trip after the end of her mission was a private cultural “tour” in Florence..

Merkel (over here First interview as a former advisor) There are currently nine assistants, secretaries and drivers, whose salaries cost the Treasury about 50,000 euros per month. From the very beginning, the equipment was criticized, also because it was unprecedented: the predecessor, Gerhard Schroeder, was actually stopped at 7 employees. But it is precisely the latter’s personal story that put Merkel back in the crosshairs. The former advisor was already Private office and staff Because of his privileged relations with Putin and Russia, a decision against which he appealed. At the same time, The Bundestag decided that, in the future, the former chancellors would be entitled to only 5 collaborators, after five years to 4.. The rule applies so far, so it does not apply to Merkel.

But pressure is mounting on the former chancellor to lead by example, too. After all, taking into account the necessities of the case, it is the same thing he asked about Greece.