Overview
- Saxony remains the only state where the Protestant Buß- und Bettag is a statutory holiday, with workers paying roughly €200–€207 more per year while employers pay nothing.
- A CDU–SPD working group had agreed to end the special financing, but the line was removed from the final federal coalition text, deferring any change.
- Saxony’s SPD blames the CDU for the omission, while Minister-President Michael Kretschmer’s office cites potential new costs for companies as a key concern.
- Business groups, including the IHK Leipzig, warn against employer cost increases and suggest reviewing the number of public holidays nationwide.
- The day is observed on Wednesday, 19 November, with church services and online offerings; Bavarian schools are closed and evangelical pupils in Berlin may be excused.