European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen maintained a large ecological footprint as she remained an avid user of private jets in 2024.
According to figures shared by the European Commission, von der Leyen made 16 official private-jet flights last year.
That was queried by German MEP Martin Schirdewan, co-chair of The Left group in the European Parliament, who requested these figures every year.
Von der Leyen, facing a vote of no-confidence in the European Parliament on July 7, has often been criticised for her frequent flying over the years.
In 2023, news outlets Bild and Der Spiegel reported that the German politician had taken 57 separate flights on private planes since 2021.
Reacting to her use of a private jet more than once a month in 2024, an EC spokesperson told Euractiv that it was “only” under logistical constraints, time pressures, or for security reasons that von der Leyen used such gas-guzzling aircraft.
“It is good to remember that she is a full member of the European Council, of the G7, the G20, and is invited to major global events such as the UN General Assembly – at the level of a head of state or government and with an equivalent schedule and work burden,” the spokesperson said.
“The President travels as much as possible using commercial airlines and public transport.”
Some might question this, given the details.
Data provided by the EC showed von der Leyen once flew from Brussels to Strasbourg with only four people on board, despite there being a reliable and efficient high-speed train connection between both cities, one many MEPs and their assistants often have to take.
The most expensive leg was a €14,110 per person chartered flight that included an official stop in Paris, followed by participation in the G7 Summit in Borgo Egnazia, Italy, and the Ukraine Peace Conference in Lucerne, Switzerland, Euractiv reported. It added that it was unclear how many people travelled with her during this whole trip.
In May of this year, Politico reported that von der Leyen, European Council President António Costa and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola flew from Brussels to Luxembourg and back aboard a charter flight, a journey that would have taken approximately two and a half hours by car.
Under von der Leyen’s leadership, the EC has advanced policies to tax aviation for climate reasons as part of the European Union Green Deal.
She does not need to pay for her private flights, as European taxpayers foot those bills.
Compared to regular economy-class flights, private jets can emit between 10 to 20 times as much carbon pollution, one “green” interest group has claimed.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen took a private jet 23 times last year, despite the EC’s code of conduct stipulating that such aircraft jaunts should only be taken in “exceptional cases”. https://t.co/B9wcmC95Ml
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) February 29, 2024
