The German Civil Service Federation has strongly reacted to a proposal from CDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann to limit the civil service to a few core sovereign tasks Federation President Volker Geyer emphasized the civil service represents “continuity, reliability and political neutrality” and must be preserved as “an important stabilizing factor” for the country
Speaking to the Tagesspiegel, Geyer highlighted the critical role of civil servants, particularly in education, where their commitment to maintaining essential public services without disruption and their oath to uphold the Basic Law are vital He positioned the civil service as a “bulwark against extremism” He also firmly rejected Linnemann’s suggestion of reducing the number of tenured positions in federal ministries, warning against a system resembling that of the United States, where a head of government could potentially dismiss all public employees and fundamentally restructure the state
Criticism of Linnemann’s proposal also came from the Green Party Marcel Emmerich, the party’s domestic policy spokesperson, stated that in times of increasing uncertainty and labor shortages, qualified and dedicated personnel are essential in areas such as education, internal security and justice Emmerich emphasized that civil service status not only ensures the functionality of the state but also guarantees neutrality and loyalty However, he also called for a willingness to reform, advocating for “significantly more flexibility and permeability” to facilitate transitions between the private and public sectors
The Free Democratic Party (FDP) offered general support for Linnemann’s initiative FDP leader Christian Dürr stated that reducing tenured positions in general administration is not necessarily wrong, but suggested the proposal masks existing trends Dürr pointed to a significant expansion of the federal administrative apparatus by the current government, despite a coalition agreement to reduce staff by eight percent by 2029 He also cited the ongoing, approximately 800 million euro expansion of the Chancellery building as a concern, calling for both staff reductions and a halt to the building project