German Minister of Health irritates Italy with tweets about heat

2023-07-24 08:55:36

Upon his arrival in Bologna, he questioned Italy’s future as a holiday destination because of the intense heat. “The heat wave is spectacular here. If things continue like this, these holiday destinations will have no future in the long term. Climate change is destroying southern Europe,” Lauterbach tweeted.

“An era is coming to an end,” he wrote on July 13. The minister then visited some churches in Siena. “Beautiful medieval construction, but also a cold room. The churches should be open during heat waves as cold rooms during the day and offer protection,” tweeted the minister, who continued to be drawn south to Rome. Here the minister posted a picture in front of the Trevi Fountain on Sunday. “But still made it to Rome. 36 degrees, a little wind. That’s how it goes. After the Caravaggios in the cool Galleria Borghese, now the Trevi Fountain,” commented Lauterbach.

A reaction from Italy was not long in coming. “I would like to thank the German Minister of Health for choosing Italy as a travel destination, which has always been the preferred holiday destination of his compatriots,” Santanchè said in a statement. In Italy, people are aware of climate change, which affects not only southern Europe but the entire planet. “We’re sure that Germans will continue to appreciate vacations in Italy,” Santanchè continued.

The senator of the governing party Forza Italia, Maurizio Gasparri, who described Lauterbach as a “provocateur” on Twitter, reacted critically. “He says nonsense and should resign. Goethe’s Germany didn’t deserve such a person in public roles,” commented Gasparri.

Italy, which is currently experiencing a tourist boom, is facing a severe heatwave. The weather service Ilmeteo.it spoke of a “Caronte bis” (Caronte with encore), alluding to the high “Caronte” from last week. Caronte is the Italian name for Charon, the ferryman from the underworld of Greek and Roman mythology. Temperatures across the country are expected to drop slightly between Wednesday and Thursday.