The number of positions in the Federal Chancellery has increased by around 10% since Olaf Scholz (SPD) took office, according to a response to a question from CDU member Matthias Hauer to the German government, reported by the Süddeutsche Zeitung. Prior to Angela Merkel’s departure, there were 775 people employed in the Federal Chancellery. As of January 14, 2025, there were 852 people employed in the Federal Chancellery, with 23 of those being officials who only joined the Federal Chancellery with Scholz.
In the run-up to the end of the legislative period, a promotion offensive is underway in some ministries, although not to the same extent as in the past, according to a SZ research. The “Operation Abendsonne” is not being implemented in its entirety, sources from the opposition even say. The reason cited is the premature new election of the Bundestag, leaving little time for additional promotion procedures and the lack of a federal budget since the collapse of the coalition.
The Foreign Office, led by Annalena Baerbock (Greens), has seen the most promotions since the coalition’s collapse, with 61 positions filled. The Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development, led by Svenja Schulze (SPD), has seen 26 promotions, although these were already planned before the coalition’s collapse, according to the ministry. The Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, led by Hubertus Heil (SPD), has promoted 18 employees to higher positions.
From the Bund der Steuerzahler’s perspective, the next federal government should consider a cabinet reform. Instead of 15 ministries plus the Chancellery, the lobby organization suggests that there should be only 10 ministries, possibly through the merger of economic and development, as well as environment and agriculture and new, reorganized ministries for family and education and for infrastructure. In 2012, there were only 18,500 employees and officials in the ministries, today there are around 30,000 – this number must be reduced to around 20,000 in the medium term and the number of high-paid parliamentary state secretaries should be reduced from 37 to around 13. President Reiner Holznagel criticizes the Ampel government for having “installed a XXL state administration.” Government and administrative efficiency should focus more on quality and not just on the number of employees. “A cabinet reform would be a good start for Germany.