The debate over civil servant salaries in North Rhine‑Westphalia (NRW) centers on the use of a fictitious partner income, a measure that the state wants to keep but is considering tweaking. Finance minister Marcus Optendrenk (CDU) told the “Neue Westfälische” that most German states also assume a fictitious spouse income. He added that, according to a report, the real issue is not the assumption itself but the application process that accompanies it.
Since 2024 NRW has factored a fictitious partner income of €538 into pay calculations. The extra amount appears on paper, but civil servants do not receive it in reality. Optendrenk explained that, unlike in many other states where a public servant whose spouse or partner has no further income must file an objection, in NRW the affected employee can simply submit an application. “We view that as a social safeguard” he said.
“The key question for us will be whether we retain this application option in a new law or not” Optendrenk said. He noted that people’s circumstances have not changed; generally, if someone does not live alone, they live with others who also have income.
During a session in the NRW state parliament, experts declared the current law unconstitutional.