“Radical reduction” demanded: Taxpayers' association outraged over traffic light items
Created: 01/02/2022, 1:40 PM
Chancellor Olaf Scholz at a press conference © Aleksander Kalka / Imago
Ministers are supported in their work by state secretaries.
The traffic light government counts some of them again - a fact that the taxpayers' association has strongly criticized.
Berlin - The traffic light government is now also starting the year 2022 - and has big plans.
The coalition agreement is long, Corona with Omikron is an urgent topic, and climate protection is higher up on the list.
But there are already complaints from many quarters.
The Taxpayers' Association (BdSt) is now criticizing the high number of parliamentary state secretaries in the traffic light coalition.
The organization is calling for "a radical reduction in the number," said Association President Reiner Holznagel der
Welt am Sonntag
.
"At most one Parliamentary State Secretary is required per ministry - the high costs and the controversial benefits of this office speak in favor of it."
Scholz government with 34 parliamentary state secretaries - what costs that means
The government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) has 37 parliamentary state secretaries, according to the newspaper, more than ever before.
In almost all ministries there are two, in some even three.
The last two governments of Angela Merkel (CDU) had 33 and 35 of these state secretaries.
Definition of state secretaries
According to the Federal Agency for Political Education, State Secretary is an official title for civil servants who follow the minister in rank immediately.
They perform political tasks.
On the one hand, there are permanent state secretaries who represent the minister in all departmental issues and act as a link between politics and administration.
On the other hand, there are parliamentary state secretaries who are members of the Bundestag and who support the minister in carrying out government duties.
The Taxpayers' Association puts the annual costs per Parliamentary State Secretary at well over 500,000 euros.
In detail, in addition to the official salary of 12,642 euros, a tax-free expense allowance of 230 euros would be due each month.
Since the Parliamentary State Secretaries are also members of the Bundestag, they receive half a diet of EUR 5007 and a tax-free lump sum of EUR 3420 - making a monthly income of more than EUR 21,000.
In addition, there would be annual costs of around 300,000 euros for office, staff and company cars.
Parliamentary state secretaries of the traffic light: "In the opposition against, as a government fully in favor"
Left parliamentary group leader Jan Korte spoke out in favor of “simply abolishing the supply posts for the parliamentary state secretaries”.
He particularly criticized the FDP and the Greens, who, as opposition factions, had also called for a reduction in the number of parliamentary state secretaries.
"In the opposition, however, as a government fully in favor," said Korte.
"Even before they really started to govern, the FDP and the Greens show that they are not bringing a breath of fresh air to the federal government at all, but are acting just like many ruling
parties
before them."
(AFP / cibo)