Overview
- The finance ministry, which announced the plan Thursday, projects about €75 million in yearly budget relief.
- Vacancies will be refilled at set ratios, with only one in three in top ministries and two in three in subordinate offices.
- Teachers, police officers and judges are exempt, keeping schools, public safety and courts staffed.
- Officials cite high personnel costs at 37.5% of spending, lower tax receipts, and a November 2025 civil‑service pay ruling by Germany’s constitutional court.
- Leaders promise no layoffs as tasks shift to digital tools, AI and less red tape, while opposition parties accuse the coalition of first expanding the bureaucracy in 2024.