Advertisement

Train job for Merkel ally turns to satire

DPA/The Local
DPA/The Local - [email protected]
Train job for Merkel ally turns to satire
Ronald Pofalla. Photo: DPA

Many Germans took the news that Chancellor Angela Merkel’s former chief of staff would join the country’s train service as a joke - especially when a satirical website claimed to break the story.

Advertisement

Stefan Sichermann, who runs satirical website Der Postillon, dated his story on Ronald Pofalla’s potential move to Deutsche Bahn to Wednesday, making it look like he had broken the story a day ahead of national media.

Many Facebook and Twitter users believed the satirical site over established media outlets and thought the idea of Pofalla joining the board of the country’s train operator was a joke.

Pofalla has been heavily criticized in Germany since declaring the NSA spying scandal over in August – weeks before it emerged Merkel’s phone had been tapped by American security services. The former chief of staff announced in December he would stand down from his post to spend more time with his family.

And the 54-year-old’s potential move to Deutsche Bahn so soon after leaving office has also sparked concern.

Campaign group LobbyControl said on Friday: “It can not be that large companies such as Daimler or Deutsche Bahn buy highly paid insider contacts within the government.”

They called for a three-year gap between government officials leaving office and taking up lobbying roles.

A government spokesman said that what Pofalla chose to do after leaving office was not their business. 

READ MORE: Record numbers claim for train pain

More

Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

See Also