Since ex-Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) took office in December 2021, a total of 137 new posts have been created in the Ministry of Defence. This emerges from a request from the CDU member of the Bundestag Kerstin Vieregge, which is exclusively available to “Business Insider”.
The new posts also include high-paying ones: the list includes a B6 job at the level of staff element management, for which the monthly salary is at least 10,600 euros plus supplements. According to the list, four head of department (salary from 6338 euros/month) and 53 consultant posts (salary from 4592 euros/month) were also newly created.
Internally, even long-standing ministry employees are amazed at this supposedly high number. In fact, under Lambrecht’s aegis, new departments were set up in the management staff and in the organization and auditing staff, such as a crisis center. The minister filled some of the positions with confidants. However, individual areas such as the press area were also restructured in order to raise certain posts.
In addition, according to the list, 33 jobs were created for clerks (salary from 3195 euros/month) and 16 office clerks (salary from 2490 euros/month). As a result of an internal restructuring of the Bundeswehr, drivers were also reassigned to the ministry, which is why 30 new posts were formally created.
The only explanation given by the Ministry of Defense to Vieregge for the increase was: “The majority of these posts were used for the return of motor vehicle services to the Federal Ministry of Defense (BMVg), the establishment of a situation center and key political issues (climate and sustainability, Bundeswehr special assets , armaments projects) required.”
Vieregge criticizes the growth. She hopes that Boris Pistorius (SPD), as the new Minister of Defence, “concentrates on creating more efficient structures instead of accumulating more and more new posts, the added value of which cannot be seen, in contrast to his predecessor”.
