€188,000 in Taxpayer Funds: Germany's Finance Minister Charged for Photos and Makeup
October 6, 2026 · Frisian News
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil spent €188,000 in public funds on photographers, makeup artists and stylists since taking office in May 2025, his own ministry's figures confirm. The bill rose 50 percent in 2026 while the minister publicly discussed austerity.
Germany's Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil has charged €188,000 in public funds to external photographers, makeup artists and stylists since taking office in May 2025. The figures came from the Finance Ministry itself, confirmed by Parliamentary State Secretary Dennis Rohde in a written answer to AfD parliamentarian Hauke Finger, and reported by Tichys Einblick and NIUS.
Photography costs dominate the bill. The Federal Finance Ministry paid €78,436 to external photographers between 6 May and the end of 2025, according to the ministry's parliamentary response. From January to 24 September 2026, that figure reached €86,599. Makeup and cosmetic services cost €9,078 in 2025 and €13,578 through 24 September 2026. Photography accounts for €165,035 of the total, cosmetics for €22,656, totals calculated by ad-hoc-news.de from the ministry's own figures.
The direction of travel is the sharper story. Finger told Tichys Einblick that makeup and styling costs rose 50 percent in 2026.
The ministry framed the spending as routine press and communications work. It told Finger that the Federal Finance Ministry holds a standing framework contract with a photo agency to produce imagery for its communications output. Makeup artists are engaged where photographic assignments require it, the ministry said, with additional cosmetic services procured through service or works contracts for specific communication occasions.
Finger rejected that framing. The AfD finance politician called it a classic case of "preaching water while drinking wine." He said Klingbeil publicly discusses the suspended debt brake, the absence of budget consolidation and the growing pressure to cut public spending, while simultaneously directing more taxpayer money toward his personal image, according to reporting by NIUS.
The ministry heads Germany's budget policy at a moment when, as Finger notes, the coalition faces both a suspended debt brake and unresolved consolidation. Klingbeil has made fiscal discipline a public theme.
Finger described the 50 percent rise in styling costs as "particularly embarrassing" for the minister. "That is not what credible fiscal policy looks like," he told Tichys Einblick.
The ministry offered no rebuttal beyond classifying the costs as press and public relations work. Rohde signed the answer on the ministry's behalf. The ministry made no further statement in its parliamentary response.
FryskDútslâns finansjminister Lars Klingbeil hat sûnt syn oantreden yn maaie 2025 €188.000 oan iepenbiere middelen yn rekken brocht foar eksterne fotografen, make-up-artysten en stylisten. De sifers komme fan it Finansjministearje sels, befêstige troch Parlamentêr Steatsekretaris Dennis Rohde yn in skriftlik antwurd oan AfD-parlemintslidmaat Hauke Finger, en rapportearre troch Tichys Einblick en NIUS.
Fotografykosten dominearje de rekken. It Federaal Finansjministearje betelle €78.436 oan eksterne fotografen tusken 6 maaie en ein 2025, neffens it parlemintsantwurd fan it ministearje. Fan jannewaris oant 24 septimber 2026 rûn dat bedrach op nei €86.599. Make-up en kosmetyske tsjinsten kosten €9.078 yn 2025 en €13.578 oant 24 septimber 2026. Fotografy makket €165.035 fan it totaal út, kosmetika €22.656, totalen berekkene troch ad-hoc-news.de op basis fan de eigen sifers fan it ministearje.
De rjochting fan de ûntwikkeling is it skerpe ferhaal. Finger fertelde Tichys Einblick dat make-up- en stylingkosten mei 50 prosint omheeggien binne yn 2026.
It ministearje omskriuwde de útjeften as gewoane parse- en kommunikaasjeaktiviteiten. It fertelde Finger dat it Federaal Finansjministearje in fêst ramt-kontrakt hat mei in fotoburo om bylden te produsearjen foar syn kommunikaasjemateriaal. Make-up-artysten wurde ynsetten dêr't fotografyske opdrachten dat fereaskje, sa sei it ministearje, mei ekstra kosmetyske tsjinsten ynkocht fia tsjinst- of wurkkontrakte foar spesifike kommunikaasjegelegenheden.
Finger wiisde dy omskriuwing fan de hân. De AfD-finansjpolitikus neamde it in klassyk gefal fan 'wetter preekje en wyn drinke.' Hy sei dat Klingbeil publyklik oer de skorse skuldenrem, it ûntbrekken fan konsolidaasje fan de begrutting en de tanimmende druk om op iepenbiere útjeften te besunigjen praat, wylst er tagelyk mear belestingjild oan syn persoanlik imago rjochtet, neffens berichtjouwing fan NIUS.
It ministearje liedt Dútslâns begruttingsbelied op in momint dat, sa't Finger opmurket, de koälysje sawol te krijen hat mei in skorse skuldenrem as mei net oplost konsolidaasje. Klingbeil hat finansjele dissipline ta in iepenbier tema makke.
Finger omskriuwde de stiging fan 50 prosint yn stylingkosten as 'benammen beskamjend' foar de minister. 'Sa sjocht betrouber finansjbelied der net út,' fertelde er Tichys Einblick.
It ministearje joech gjin wjerwurd bûten it klassifisearjen fan de kosten as parse- en PR-wurk. Rohde ûndertekene it antwurd út namme fan it ministearje. It ministearje makke gjin fierdere ferklearring yn syn parlemintsantwurd.
Published October 6, 2026 · Frisian News