A guy was fined for hugging Olaf Scholz, the German Chancellor

A man who approached and unapprovedly hugged German Chancellor Olaf Scholz during a public function was fined.

A fifty-year-old man who unintentionally joined German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s motorcade while under the influence of drugs was fined €4,500 by a Frankfurt court for violating airport security and hugging Scholz on the runway.

Scholz was getting ready to leave Frankfurt for Berlin after the European Central Bank’s 25th anniversary celebration in May 2023 when the tragedy happened. The defendant, who was described as confused and drunk, claimed in court proceedings on Tuesday that he had been partying for two days, had been doing cocaine on a regular basis, and had not slept when he unintentionally collided with the chancellor’s convoy on a public road.

The individual, oblivious to his surroundings, stopped next to the official cars at Frankfurt Airport after following the convoy. Before police intervened and took him into custody, the defendant got out of his car, went up to the chancellor, shook his hand, and gave him a hug just as Scholz was ready to board his plane.

“I thought I was just following others in giving Scholz a warm send-off,” the man said through his attorney. He apologized for the incident, calling it a bittersweet experience, and promised the court that he would behave better going forward. In the end, the court determined that he was only partially accountable for the offense.

He was found guilty of both driving under the influence of drugs and trespassing.

Wolfgang Büchner, Scholz’s spokesperson, told reporters that the chancellor “didn’t feel threatened at any point” at the time of the hack. However, the event raised questions about Scholz’s security setup.

Scholz is nearing the end of his time as chancellor. Until the parties in the prospective government ratify a coalition agreement, Friedrich Merz will be elected as his successor by the German Bundestag at its meeting on May 6.