Overview

• Construction of the Chancellery expansion began in January 2023 and now carries an estimated price tag of €777 million, up €140 million from initial projections.
• In July 2025 the Federal Court of Auditors sent a formal letter to the Bundestag budget committee urging the Chancellery to optimize underused office space and adopt flexible workplace models.
• The new wing will add 590 workstations, creating a surplus of 266 desks compared with the current 784 staff positions, according to auditors.
• The Chancellery has declined to implement desksharing or clean-desk rules, arguing that its security protocols and confidential workflows require continuous on-site presence.
• Critics highlight the inclusion of winter gardens, a costly daycare and a helipad as examples of excessive amenities against the backdrop of rising national deficits and widespread remote-work adoption.