Debate about savings “blatant populism” – posse between Lindner and Scholz about the new chancellery building

Berlin Christian Lindner (FDP) sits on the TV show “Maischberger”. It’s all about money, the Federal Minister of Finance is currently struggling with his colleagues over the new federal budget.

One was all the more surprised in the Chancellery by Lindner’s statements on Wednesday evening to Sandra Maischberger. “I believe that in times of more home office and location-flexible work, a new building next to the Chancellery, which costs at least 800 million, is unnecessary,” said Lindner.

The Finance Minister was referring to the planned expansion of the government headquarters and added smugly with a view to Scholz: “I think he will be displeased that I have now proposed this here.”

In the Chancellery, people were actually dissatisfied that Lindner of all people indirectly accused Scholz of wasting taxpayers’ money. Because not only that Lindner had previously supported the extension of the Chancellery. The finance minister himself is currently planning a generous expansion of his federal finance ministry.

A few hours before Lindner’s appearance at Maischberger, Lindner’s State Secretary Florian Toncar (FDP) is sitting in the Bundestag’s Budget Committee on Wednesday afternoon. And at the meeting, he presented two major construction projects by the Federal Ministry of Finance.

Lindner is planning a new building worth 500 million euros

A new building with 910 office jobs is to be built directly opposite the Federal Ministry of Finance for around 500 million euros. A “modern administration building” that centrally accommodates the employees of the Federal Ministry of Finance, who are currently spread over six locations, as the Federal Ministry of Finance advertises the project.

The Taxpayers’ Association and the Federal Audit Office have been criticizing the costly new construction projects for some time. However, the construction plans were never discussed in public.

Up to Lindner’s statements. Now the debate has got going and is unfortunately taking on “traits of a farce”, says a member of the government. Another official speaks of “blatant populism” that Lindner operates.

>> Read here: Scholz repeatedly takes Lindner’s side – to the annoyance of the Greens

All ministries have recently increased their staff significantly. According to calculations by the Taxpayers’ Association, the federal ministries will employ more than 30,000 civil servants for the first time this year. And they all have to be accommodated.

This applies in particular to the Federal Chancellery. When Gerhard Schröder moved into the new building in 2001, the Chancellery employed 410 people. The “washing machine”, as Berliners call the building, was designed for a maximum of around 500 employees – if everyone moved together.

At the end of Angela Merkel’s term in office, however, there were soon twice as many civil servants in the Chancellery as in Schröder’s time, namely 830.

Scholz continues to increase staff

According to a government spokeswoman, the Chancellery has “grown to the current necessary size in the last 20 years since the move to Berlin due to tasks”.

For example, the departments in the Federal Chancellery that deal with European politics or digitization have been expanded. Compared to other ministries, Scholz’s house is still surprisingly small in some areas.

For example, only around 15 employees deal with defense issues. Even in the immediate vicinity of the chancellor, the presentations are by no means lavishly stocked. Scholz did not even find a real speechwriter’s presentation when he took office.

Scholz is therefore increasing the staff. However, due to a lack of space, many employees of the Chancellery are already housed in other buildings spread throughout the capital.

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Merkel wanted to change that. In 2016 she had an extension planned, and in 2019 the plans were presented to the public. In the entrance area of ​​the Federal Chancellery there is a model of the spectacular extension, which is proudly presented to visitors.

Extension of the Chancellery

Demolition work in preparation for the project has already begun.

(Photo: IMAGO/Bernd Elmenthaler)

A new Chancellor’s apartment with a spacious loggia will be built in the new building, a Chancellor’s daycare center, nine five-storey conservatories, a new IT center and an architecturally impressive helipad. Disadvantage: The distances are long, it takes about 15 minutes to walk from one building to the other, because the Spree has to be crossed over a bridge first.

As is often the case with public construction projects, the construction was significantly more expensive than originally planned. Instead of 460 million, the federal government is now expecting costs of 777 million euros, partly because of the sharp rise in construction prices. Further cost increases cannot be ruled out.

FDP wants to set a good example

Since the budget now has to be saved, the FDP believes that politicians should set a good example. So says FDP chief housekeeper Otto Fricke: “Christian Lindner’s proposal illustrates the currently necessary mindset. Everything has to be put to the test, the expansion of the Chancellery as well as the expansion of the Ministry of Finance.”

The SPD sees things differently. “We assume that the current construction plans of the federal government will last,” says their chief housekeeper Dennis Rohde.

To date, the Federal Minister of Finance has not informed the responsible parliamentarians about adjustments. “On the contrary, just yesterday he had construction projects worth 1.5 billion euros advised on in his area of ​​responsibility in the budget committee.”

In a ZDF interview last summer, Scholz spoke a supposed power word about the extension to the Chancellery. “A long-prepared plan that is already very far advanced must also be completed,” Scholz explained. According to the Chancellery, nothing has changed in this attitude.

The preparatory work for the extension building has long been in full swing, and construction is scheduled to begin this year. The planning has already devoured many millions. If the project were stopped now, the money would be gone. “And then we would be accused again,” complains a member of the government.

In addition, it looks strange to throw a project of the previous government overboard, you don’t actually do that politically. Government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit also referred to the “clear decision-making position” on Friday.

Lindner’s argument that the extension is not necessary due to increased work from the home office is also rejected in the Chancellery. Lindner explained at Maischberger that despite the end of the pandemic, 65 percent of his employees would continue to work from home or on the go.

Although employees of the Federal Chancellery also worked in the home office. Because of the “special work processes in a government headquarters and due to confidentiality regulations” it is “also necessary to work on site,” says a government spokeswoman. Therefore, “office space cannot be dispensed with on a large scale”.

Some people in the Chancellery are surprised at the Finance Minister’s statements. Because even if the new building plans were actually stopped, it would hardly bring any relief to the federal budget. Or as one official put it: “There are certainly bigger construction sites in the federal budget than the Chancellery.”

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