Lufthansa burned their fingers once when they were state owned and ( Ruhnau era ) run into trouble. They do not want government interference and politicians on their board again. Lufti, once the pride of the nation, almost vanished. They now have a good point - they are a important asset to the economy, and a big employer. May be it is a bit over the top, but here the " better dead than red " philosophy comes into force. Because this was the problem years ago.