- Because defends higher pay of important employee
Lower Saxony's Minister President Stephan Weil has once again defended the increase in the remuneration of an important employee. The move was fundamentally lawful and well-founded, the SPD politician told the German Press Agency in Hannover. "This approach, which is new for us, has actually been the norm in other states for some time. However, I have already acknowledged that we have provided open flanks with the way we introduced the new regulation several months ago."
An investigative committee in the state parliament has been dealing with the issue for several months. It is examining whether the increase in the employee's remuneration was permissible. The opposition CDU speaks of a "salary affair" because the regulations of the long-standing administrative practice were changed for a single person. The State Chancellery has repeatedly rejected the accusation that the higher payment was not lawful.
The remuneration of the high-ranking Weil employee increased by 1,886 euros gross per month, or around 22,600 euros per year, following the change, according to the State Chancellery. The employee has been working in the State Chancellery since February 2023 and continues to hold the position and receive the higher salary.
Weil: Government waits calmly
The next meeting of the investigative committee is scheduled for next Thursday. Several witnesses have already been heard, including Weil himself, Finance Minister Gerald Heere (Greens), and State Chancellery head Joerg Mielke.
On the progress of the committee so far, Weil said: "In my estimation, everything that has been discussed in the investigative committee so far was already known beforehand. And the accusation of illegality has been refuted. How the factions want to proceed now is their business, the government will wait calmly for that."
Carina Hermann, parliamentary business manager of the CDU state parliament faction, said on request that an extensive list of questions from the state government had not yet been answered. She called for answers to the questions so that a decision can be made on the further procedure in the committee.
The investigative committee in the Landtag has been scrutinizing the permissibility of the increase in the high-ranking employee's remuneration for several months. Regardless of the committee's findings, the SPD's Minister President Stephan Weil believes that the higher salary for the employee is lawful.
