Overview

• Kai Wegner argued that roughly 20,000 annual trips between Bonn and Berlin waste money, harm the climate, and deter younger staff who prefer working in the capital.
• Bonner mayor Katja Dörner dismissed the idea as outdated and stressed Bonn’s role as a UN hub and research center that strengthens federal resilience.
• NRW minister Nathanael Liminski labeled Wegner’s cost and climate claims as “fake news,” citing remote work since the pandemic and estimating a full move would cost billions versus €10–20 million to run the dual-seat model.
• The 1994 Bonn–Berlin Act requires that the majority of ministerial jobs remain in Bonn, and six ministries still have their primary seat there, with about one third of posts based in the city.
• No policy change has been announced, and while Wegner says attempts to amend the law were blocked by NRW, the dispute has simply reemerged as Germany marks 35 years of unity.