(de-news.net) – The Taxpayers’ Association has advocated for a comprehensive reassessment of one-third of the positions within federal ministries, urging the Union and SPD to implement significant reductions in staffing levels across these institutions. Media reports indicate that the association’s president, Rainer Holznagel, has called for a long-term reduction in personnel, proposing a decrease from approximately 30,000 to 20,000 employees.

Holznagel has expressed criticism regarding the absence of reform initiatives aimed at addressing the challenges of an overburdened administration. He conveyed disappointment over the exclusion of this issue from the exploratory paper of the CDU/CSU and SPD. Furthermore, he lamented the lack of measures to establish a leaner administration, a more compact cabinet, optimized resource allocation, or consolidated competencies. Holznagel voiced concerns about the potential emergence of an even larger government structure, which he argued would place an excessive financial burden on taxpayers.

According to the association’s analysis, the workforce within federal ministries has expanded significantly over the past decade, increasing from 22,343 to 28,628 employees. This growth has been accompanied by a notable rise in the number of departments, sub-departments, and main divisions. Concurrently, ministry expenditures have escalated disproportionately, surging by 68%—from 3.3 billion euros to 5.6 billion euros—compared to a 33% increase in federal tax revenues since 2015.