NDR Exclusive: State Government’s Foreign Trips Cost Taxpayers €868,000 in 2022
Berlin – The state government of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) spent approximately €868,000 on foreign trips in 2022, according to an exclusive report by the Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR).
The report, based on an unpublished response from the state’s Finance Ministry to a parliamentary inquiry from the Social Democratic Party (SPD), reveals that a delegation led by Minister-President Hendrik Wüst (CDU) accounted for the largest share of the expenses. The trip to the United States alone cost taxpayers €327,130.
The ministry’s document, obtained by the NDR, lists 43 international trips undertaken in 2022, including five by Wüst. In addition to the US visit, Wüst also traveled to Portugal (€18,136), France (twice, for a total of €37,000), and London (€19,827).
After Wüst’s US trip, the most expensive delegations were led by Minister of Culture Ina Brandes (CDU) to the US (€101,000) and Minister of Economics Mona Neubaur (Greens) to Japan (€62,300).
The Finance Ministry emphasized in the document that foreign trips have been a common practice among state governments for decades, "across party lines." As an example, the ministry cited former Minister-President Hannelore Kraft (SPD), who traveled to Canada, the US, South America, and China during her tenure.
However, SPD budget expert Christian Dahm criticized the current practice, stating that "while travel is becoming a luxury for more and more people, the black-green coalition is indulging in luxury trips at taxpayers’ expense." Dahm particularly criticized the US trip, which he called a "photo safari by Minister-President Wüst to Hollywood."
Wüst’s trip to the US in April began with a high-profile event in Hollywood, where he posed for photographs with actress Veronica Ferres. The minister-president also visited several companies, including Microsoft, to promote NRW as an investment destination.
Political Reactions
The report has sparked political reactions from both the government and the opposition.
"These are necessary trips that serve to represent the state and promote NRW internationally," defended NRW government spokesman Christoph Dammermann. "The costs are in line with those of previous years and are justified by the results."
SPD leader Thomas Kutschaty, on the other hand, called the expenses "excessive" and argued that the government should focus on more pressing issues. "People are struggling with rising costs of living, while the state government is spending hundreds of thousands of euros on luxury trips," Kutschaty said.
Background
Foreign travels by state governments have been a topic of public debate in Germany in recent years. In 2019, NDR reported that the federal government had spent over €10 million on foreign trips in 2018.
Critics argue that such trips often yield little in the form of tangible results and are more about personal prestige and photo opportunities. Supporters, on the other hand, maintain that these trips are essential for maintaining international relations and promoting economic growth.
The extent of the expenses incurred by the NRW government on foreign trips is particularly significant given the state’s current financial situation. NRW is one of the most indebted states in Germany, with a debt of over €130 billion. The state government has recently announced a series of austerity measures in an effort to reduce the deficit.
