Steerpike Steerpike

Ursula von der Leyen’s climate hypocrisy

Jeff J Mitchell - Pool/Getty Images

Looking down today’s batting order at the COP26 summit, Steerpike’s eye alighted on the name of Ursula von der Leyen. A failed German defence minister, kicked upstairs to her current post of President of the European Commission: who better to save the world than a superannuated Eurocrat?  

And, with exquisite timing, the Daily Telegraph has this afternoon released an audit of VDL’s jet-setting tours of Europe. The EU’s top official ordered ‘air taxis’ for 18 out of her 34 official trips since taking up the role in December 2019, despite a pledge to turn the bloc carbon-neutral by 2050. 

The shortest of the journeys was a 31-mile hop between Vienna and Bratislava, a journey which takes 68 minutes by public transport. On other occasions a team of European commissioners, including the president, have twice chartered private planes for the 31-minute flight to Strasbourg, for meetings in the European Parliament.

Britain’s best politics newsletters

You get two free articles each week when you sign up to The Spectator’s emails.

Already a subscriber? Log in

Steerpike
Written by
Steerpike

Steerpike is The Spectator's gossip columnist, serving up the latest tittle tattle from Westminster and beyond. Email tips to steerpike@spectator.co.uk or message @MrSteerpike

Topics in this article

Comments

Join the debate for just £1 a month

Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for £3.

Already a subscriber? Log in