President János Áder took the Defense Ministry’s private jet to the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, which generated criticism. According to an independent MP, Áder could have easily followed his Slovakian colleague’s suit, for example.
Besides his security staff, Áder was accompanied by three of his colleagues, according to the Office of the President of the Republic.
Telex notes that some 400 private jets transported participants to the rally, once again generating criticism due to air-travel’s high CO2 emission. According to Scottish tabloid Sunday Mail’s own calculations, private jets flying to and from the COP26 emitted more CO2 than 1,600 Scottish people do in an entire year.
Following his office’s confirmation, the Hungarian president wouldn’t get away without criticism either. “For those who would think that a President of the Republic cannot travel on a normal flight,” independent MP Bernadett Szél brought up neighboring Slovakia’s president as an example, since Zuzana Caputová took a commercial flight to Scotland. “And, as they say [in Hungary], the wedding ring didn’t fall off her finger.”
“We don’t need politicians who are painted green, who can only talk without any action, we need politicians who are credible and who also value leading by example. Because until world leaders recognize their personal responsibility to tackle climate crisis, there will be no change. They should either change or get out of the way!”, Szél commented.
featured image via Tibor Illyés/MTI