Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil spends public funds on image-building services
Lars Klingbeil has used ministry money to pay for photographers, makeup artists and stylists since taking office in May 2025.
An inquiry by an AfD parliamentarian disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Finance has allocated public money to external photographers and, where required, to makeup artists, stylists and related staff for its press and public-relations work. The ministry operates under a framework agreement with a photo agency and supplements it with service contracts for visual-presentation tasks. These expenditures have been made continuously since Lars Klingbeil assumed the finance portfolio in May 2025.
Opponents claim the spending undermines his rhetoric about tightening the budget and reducing debt. The criticism highlights a perceived gap between the minister’s fiscal messaging and the resources devoted to personal image management.
Why it matters
Taxpayer money is being used for personal image services, raising questions about fiscal responsibility.
In this story
