Federal agents' withdrawal results in a sum of 180,000 euros being eliminated

Coalition led by Schwarz-Rot vowed to tackle bureaucracy, eliminating 25 government positions; however, budget remained largely unaffected by this move.

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2025 September 15 . 10:08 PM

2 min read

Federal agents' withdrawal yields 180,000 euros in funds

Federal agents' withdrawal results in a sum of 180,000 euros being eliminated

Federal Government Reduces Number of Commissioners, Sparking Debate on Bureaucracy and Savings

In a move aimed at signalling a reduction in bureaucracy, the federal government has decided to reduce the number of commissioners by 25. This decision, made in the first meeting of the federal cabinet in May, has, however, sparked debate over its effectiveness in reducing bureaucracy and achieving significant financial savings.

The reduction in commissioners was in response to a question from Green parliamentary leader, Sebastian Schäfer. Schäfer, in his comments to the German Press Agency, criticised the federal government, stating that they deliver headlines instead of policy when faced with the need to produce savings.

The tasks of the dissolved commissioners are being continued primarily by the current ministries. The Ministry of the Interior (now excluding the building and housing area), the newly established Ministry for Building and Housing, the Ministry of the Environment (now including consumer protection), and the Ministry of Economic Affairs (now including climate protection) are among those taking on the additional responsibilities. The Federal Chancellery houses the State Ministers for Federal-State Relations, Migration, Refugees and Integration, and the New Federal States, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs includes State Ministers for Culture and Media.

Financial state secretary, Dennis Rohde, explained the savings from this decision, stating that it will result in an annual savings of at least 178,800 euros. However, Schäfer's comments suggest that the consolidation of commissioners may not be a significant step towards reducing bureaucracy, as the savings represent only 0.00004 percent of the 2025 budget.

The positions of commissioner for the sea, commissioner for cycling, and special commissioner for international climate policy were among those abolished. Some of these functions were already being performed by civil servants within the respective ministry, resulting in minimal cost savings.

Schäfer's criticism of the federal government focuses on their ability to deliver policy instead of just producing headlines. The Union and SPD, the parties involved in this decision, have not yet responded to these criticisms.

The federal government's consolidation of commissioners has been criticised for producing minimal financial savings. With the 2025 budget as the target for the financial savings from the consolidation of commissioners, it remains to be seen whether the federal government will be able to deliver on their promise of reducing bureaucracy.