2021 NRW Flood Inquiry Nears Conclusion as Minister Faces Scrutiny Over Mallorca Trip

Minister Ina Scharrenbach expresses regret over her Mallorca visit during the disaster as the parliamentary investigation prepares to release its final report this summer.

• The July 2021 flood in North Rhine-Westphalia claimed 49 lives and caused €13 billion in damages, prompting a parliamentary investigation into the disaster response.
• NRW Minister Ina Scharrenbach (CDU) expressed regret for attending a private Mallorca event shortly after the flood, reiterating that she would not make the same decision today.
• The investigation faced delays due to a legal dispute over withheld documents, with Scharrenbach's ministry eventually providing 425,000 pages after a court ruling.
• Scharrenbach’s former staff testified that she continued working during the Mallorca trip, though the absence of official calendar entries obscured her location.
• The inquiry also examined actions by other officials, including Scharrenbach’s former state secretary, who remained on vacation in France during the crisis, citing no urgent need to return.

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