Detective-hog fatally shot - Weil, the Minister President, justifies salary hike.
During the inquiry into the employee wage boost of Ms. Weil's important staff member, Niedersachsen's Minister-President, Stephan Weil (SPD), defended his decision but admitted flaws in its implementation. He advocated for suitable compensation and believes it's perfectly fine, stated Mr. Weil during his testimony at the committee meeting in Hannover's Landtag on Thursday. The long waiting periods and processing times for wage increases surprised him in this instance, prompting him to endorse system improvements.
With respect to the design and chronologic sequence, the head of government recognized mistakes. This resulted in accusations that the system was being amended for a single individual rather than general interests. During the revision, Weil remarked, things might have been different. "I can't fix that now," he said. "We discovered a structural issue through this case," Weil explained in the committee's sixth session. This was also found through an investigation of other federal states' handling of similar situations.
Almost two months ago, the investigation committee began its work, examining whether the Weil applicant's wage increase was legitimate. The opposition CDU refers to it as a "wage scandal," citing the changes in long-standing administrative practice for one individual. The State Chancellery had already turned down the assertion several times that the wage raise was unlawful.
According to the State Chancellery, the senior Weil appointee's salary increased by €1,886 gross per month following the end of the probation period, which comes to about €22,600 annually. The employee has worked for the State Chancellery since February 2023 and remains in the role, receiving the higher salary. Weil views the new rule as a general improvement of the system rather than a single person's decision.
Due to demographic development and labor market conditions, public service is increasingly at odds with the free market for skilled professionals, according to Weil. Therefore, he claimed that people with degrees from the second educational path should not be discriminated against in terms of salary. Furthermore, Weil justified his hiring decision and the later promotion as a personal choice. In his opinion, this is a job position that necessitates a unique level of trust.
In relation to the higher salary of the significant Weil employee, the Hannover Public Prosecutor's Office is investigating for suspected embezzlement. The inquiry was initiated at the end of May against unidentified persons.
For the investigation committee, the CDU opposition perceives its notions upheld by a submitted legal opinion. They demand the firing of the State Chancellery head, Jörg Mielke. Nonetheless, the State Chancellery recently introduced another legal opinion intended to confirm the hiring and subsequent promotion in line with legal standards. The extended interrogation of the Minister-President on Thursday immersed into the realm of civil service law and non-tariff wages in the public sector.
The opposition CDU perceives injustice in this situation. "The justification that this is about increasing attractiveness is a complete fairy tale that has been told to us for weeks and months," said the CDU parliamentary leader, Carina Hermann. However, for the SPD, it is evident that Weil has effectively demonstrated that this pertained to responding to demographic changes. "That was the motivation, we are vindicated," said the SPD parliamentary leader, Wiard Siebels.
