Overview

• Draft pact calls for budgets in 2026 and 2027 to fall below 2025 levels before modest 3–4 percent annual increases from 2028 that won’t offset inflation or rising personnel costs
• University leaders warn these provisions could trigger a cumulative funding gap of about €1 billion by the end of 2031
• Institutions estimate that structural reductions could eliminate roughly one in ten academic and administrative positions
• Gewerkschaft Erziehung und Wissenschaft, the Landes-ASten-Konferenz and Verdi have scheduled protests at Universität Kassel and TU Darmstadt for this Wednesday
• The Hessian Ministry of Science cites limited fiscal flexibility across departments but has not disclosed details of ongoing negotiations