Overview

• The 2025 annual audit catalogued extravagant purchases, including a €14,600 coffee machine and two €6,000 chairs, that lacked clear justification
• Funding for the Interior Ministry’s Innovation Lab surged from €250,000 to €4.28 million within weeks, driven chiefly by high-end videoconference equipment
• Review of 465 payroll cases found teachers were overpaid by €264,000 in total, yet just €49,000 has been reclaimed so far
• Prisoner transport operations were criticized for lacking basic data on inmate numbers, embarkation points and vehicle requirements
• Despite a slight debt reduction in 2024, NRW still owes nearly €163 billion and the audit cautioned new structural borrowing rights must not delay budget consolidation