Bonus miles affair
The term bonus miles affair designated by the Bild newspaper publicized 2002 practice that individual members of the Bundestag their official accumulated bonus miles from the frequent flyer program Miles & More of Lufthansa used for private trips. The publication was made possible by an indiscretion at Lufthansa. The Hunzinger affair preceded and triggered the revelations . On September 22nd, 2002 there was a general election ; the bonus miles affair was a campaign issue.
There were a few resignations as part of the affair. Among other things, Gregor Gysi ( PDS ) resigned from all offices on July 31, 2002. Cem Özdemir ( Greens ), since 1998 domestic policy spokesman for the Bundestag faction Bündnis 90 / Die Grünen, resigned from this office on July 26, 2002 and did not accept the Bundestag mandate after the federal elections in 2002, went to the European Parliament and for one legislative period (2004-2009) then returned to the Bundestag. Rezzo Hose (Greens) paid the disputed sum; he declined requests to resign.
Bundestag President Wolfgang Thierse emphasized - after these two resignations - that it was only about the violation of a voluntarily agreed rule. Müntefering , then SPD General Secretary, filed a criminal complaint against the Bild newspaper in August 2002. In the investigation of the bonus miles affair, the public prosecutor intervened on August 6, 2002 on suspicion of breach of trust and fraud. Nine MPs from the CDU / CSU , SPD , PDS and Greens were affected .
Members of other parties were also affected by the affair; only those named drew the consequences. From August 7th, media interest shifted to the Elbe floods ; From then on there were no further resignations by politicians in the context of the flight affair. In July 2002 there was a partially public dispute between the then President of the Bundestag Wolfgang Thierse and Lufthansa: Thierse, on behalf of the parliamentary groups, demanded “the information stand [..] which - incidentally, disregarding data protection regulations - from your company the 'Bild' Newspaper was transmitted ”. Lufthansa should take measures against data misuse. Lufthansa denied that there was a “leak” with her. The public also discussed who had given the data to the public and for what motive.
Some companies used the affair as an opportunity to clarify or regulate that bonus miles go to the company (and not to the employee who took the flight / on whose bonus miles card the miles were credited). Anyone who uses bonus miles earned for business privately receives a monetary benefit . This also became more publicly known in the aftermath of the affair.
Others
Federal Chancellor Schröder made a statement on August 1, 2002. He described the gradual disclosure as politically motivated. “It is noticeable that this is of great one-sidedness” (alluding to the fact that until then only politicians from the left spectrum were named as bonus fliers). He suspected that "by omitting and emphasizing" a political result should be achieved that should ultimately be positive for the Union.
supporting documents
- Miles and More and More . In: Der Spiegel , Annual Chronicle 54/2002, p. 198.
Footnotes
- ^ Spiegel.de: Public prosecutor deals with bonus miles (August 6, 2002) , August chronicle
- ^ Spiegel.de August 1, 2002: Schröder and Thierse attack Lufthansa
- ↑ FAZ.net January 10, 2013: The pitfalls of collecting miles
- ↑ Bonus miles and pecuniary benefits in Austria
- ^ Spiegel.de: Bonus miles: Schröder and Thierse attack Lufthansa