Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner married the journalist Franca Lehfeldt at the weekend. The pompous event took place on Sylt – with numerous political celebrities. Especially in times when many citizens have to save, this caused trouble.
Nothing was saved at the Lindner wedding: the FDP politician’s party lasted three days, including the registry office, hen party and church wedding. The celebrations took place in the well-known “Sansibar” on Sylt, the island of the rich.
The criticism was not long in coming. The Protestant ethics professor Mathias Wirth, for example, told the “Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger” that this was a “luxury wedding of a minister who was not very socially and morally sensitive and who at the same time wanted to reduce the Hartz IV rates for the long-term unemployed”.
And publicist Jakob Augstein raised concerns in the format “Gegenkehr”: “The government is helping to ensure that people continue to be impoverished, and at the same time celebrities and leaders are throwing huge parties on the most expensive island (…). You could say that it has a taste.”
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Probably also because the high level of security, which was necessary because of guests like Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and CDU leader Friedrich Merz, was paid for with tax money. In addition, Merz arrived in a private jet, the bridal couple drove away in a Porsche.
The comments of our users also show that this staging – especially in times of inflation – was not well received by many citizens. “How can you preach to the people ‘water and drink champagne yourself!'” writes user Ina Köber. “Merz travels in a private jet, others fly from overcrowded trains. Why didn’t he come with the 9 euro ticket? A crazy wedding is celebrated here and the gas tap is turned off somewhere else!”
FOCUS Online user Frank Wienecke sees it very similarly. “In my opinion, especially in the current crisis situation, the public display of such a pompous and expensive event by a federal politician is styleless and outrageous,” he says.
There are many comments like Wienecke’s and Köber’s. “I have nothing against Mr. Lindner’s wedding, only then should you pay for the costs for the safety of the guests yourself and not the taxpayer!”, can be read in an email from the user Yvonne Allers.
And our reader Georg Eppinger writes: “The whole wedding was a decadent show that cost the taxpayer over half a million according to initial estimates. It’s also a mystery to me why Merz took part in the private jet.” The “wedding show” only shows him that many politicians no longer have an inner voice.
On the other hand, he praises Minister of Economics Robert Habeck, albeit cautiously. “After all, Habeck saw through the show and turned down the invitation. Doesn’t Scholz have more important things to do than join this decadent show?”
Other users criticize the wedding itself. FOCUS Online reader Beatrix Buttler writes: “In my opinion, they were concerned with staging and show, with beautiful pictures, but not with a religious conviction. Why wasn’t the civil marriage and then a party enough for them, you can really treat them to that.”
Because: Christian Lindner and Franca Lehfeldt both consciously left the church and publicly declared that they do not see themselves as Christians. The church, which the famous bridal couple chose for their wedding, is one of Sylt’s landmarks with a centuries-old history. And also a popular place for celebrity weddings.
Some users are asking Lindner to resign from his position as Minister of Finance because of the Protz wedding. “A scandal. This glutton should resign immediately,” says user Renate Pitt. Reader Wilhelm Grede sees it the same way: “Lindner must resign immediately”.
Mareike Jansen, nurse in the hospital, first goes into her personal situation. “I work in the hospital without corona premiums – but with a nursing shortage, I am a single parent and, despite a deduction of 300 euros a month for gas with my old house, I will soon have to pay a four-digit sum,” her mail reads. She finds Lindner’s performance “deviant” and feels mocked.
She is also annoyed by the environmentally harmful behavior of some wedding guests. “Merz on the plane lets my adrenaline level soar to record levels,” writes the nurse.
In the end, of course, there are also people who can’t quite understand the hustle and bustle surrounding the Lindner wedding – or even find it exaggerated. Our user Christa Wolin writes: “I think the hype that the media has caused about the whole event is just as inappropriate as the presentation of the entire celebration itself.”
In her opinion, an “elected representative of the people deserves a little more modesty and discretion”. “But my goodness – we’re talking about Christian Lindner – you shouldn’t expect too much from this man!”
Andreas Hoffman doesn’t understand the criticism of the celebrations either: “Of course Christian Lindner’s wedding fits into the time. Shall we mope for years?”. And user Leo Keller also writes: “Lindner is definitely not my friend, but let the man have fun. If fewer celebrities are getting married with similar effort, no one crows.”
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