€55,000 Spent on Hair and Makeup for Merkel Still Covered by Government
The German government has spent nearly €55,000 on hairstyling and makeup for former Chancellor Angela Merkel since she left office in 2021.
This information comes from Tagesspiegel, which references documents obtained through a Freedom of Information request.
The federal government covers the costs of Merkel's hairstyling and makeup for both public and private events. Presently, she has billed €17,200 in 2023 and €37,780 in 2022.
Despite Merkel stepping down from the highest position in Germany almost two years ago, she still submits bills to the federal government for certain expenses. Merkel no longer uses the services of her former makeup artist; instead, she relies on a new hairstylist-makeup artist, who also works as a clothing designer.
This implies that the former head of government's polished appearance in Berlin costs around €3,000 per month. If the stylist accompanies Merkel to events, this entails expenses for her travel and accommodation.
"Assuming these expenses is related to the performance of ongoing official duties – regardless of whether they are public or private," stated the German Chancellery.
The increase in costs for hairstyling and makeup for officials has garnered some criticism, and Rainer Holznagel, President of the Taxpayers Association, said that expenses should be "minimized, and if in doubt – paid privately."
The publication notes that no former chancellor has incurred such high costs for the federal government as Angela Merkel. For her political life after resignation, she maintains an office with nine permanent positions, including a service car from the Federal Criminal Police Office. Personnel expenses alone amount to several hundred thousand euros per year, plus additional costs for business trips.
Current Chancellor of Germany, Olaf Scholz, also does not spare expenses for public appearances, as reported by the publication. This year, the Chancellery spent €21,808 on hairstyling and makeup, while in 2022, the figure reached €39,910.
Last week, Bavarian leader Markus Söder made headlines when it was reported that his office spent nearly €180,000 on freelance photographers in 2022, in addition to €36,000 per year for a permanent photographer.