GERMANY’S HEALTH minister is facing calls to resign after her official car was stolen as she was using it during holidays in Spain.
A spokesman for Ulla Schmidt, one of the longest-serving cabinet members, struggled to explain yesterday why the politician had her car with her in Alicante.
The ministry spokesperson said the thieves had broken into her holiday accommodation and stolen keys to her S-class Mercedes.
Ms Schmidt had used the car during her holiday for official appointments, the spokesperson said, including visits to German pensioners who have retired to the Costa Blanca in southeastern Spain, and to local hospitals to see medical facilities available to them.
Although Ms Schmidt had rented another car for private travel, the spokesperson admitted yesterday that the minister used her official car for private trips, for which Ms Schmidt would receive a bill, in line with standard procedure.
According to reports yesterday, the minister flew to Spain, but had the car driven down from Berlin – a journey of 2,400km.
“I would like to know which of Ms Schmidt’s appointments required an official car and chauffeur in Alicante, and why it was not possible for the embassy to arrange transportation,” said Otto Fricke of the opposition Free Democrats (FDP) – and the head of the parliamentary budget committee.
“Taxpayers’ money should not be wasted on the comfort of a minister.”
Ms Schmidt is unlikely to go without a fight: after nearly two terms as health minister, she has faced down powerful doctor and pharma lobbies in several rounds of healthcare reforms.
But this whiff of scandal has come at an inopportune time for the minister and her Social Democratic Party (SPD), as the election campaign winds into gear at a time of public belt-tightening.
Ahead of the September 27th general election, polls show the SPD stuck at least 10 points behind rival Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) after a four-year grand coalition.
Abusing public privileges for private gain can carry a high price for politicians in Germany.
Seven years ago, two leading Green Party politicians resigned after it emerged they had bought private flights using air miles from official trips.
Even former Chancellor Schröder came under scrutiny from government auditors for bringing his wife Doris with him on a government jet.
The Schröders later received a bill for her seat, amounting to several thousand euro. After that, Doris flew on commercial airlines.