According to CDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann, civil servants at both the federal and state levels should absolutely not receive the planned €1,000 relief bonus intended for employees. Speaking to the news broadcaster “Welt” regarding calls to include civil servants, Linnemann stated that such an inclusion must be prevented, clarifying that this is not an attack on civil servants. He argued against using self-employed individuals’ tax money to pay such a bonus to state employees, predicting that this would trigger a major debate on inequality, similar to those seen in previous years. Consequently, the CDU politician concluded that, in his view, no payout to civil servants should occur in Germany.
Linnemann also suggested extending the bonus scheme, which was originally planned for 2026, to the following year. He expressed his personal support for expanding the bonus not only this year but also to 2027. He proposed that businesses could use this extended period-for example, over a span of eighteen months-to compensate for peaks in workload or overtime hours that would be exempt from taxes and social security contributions.
Meanwhile, the CDU General Secretary acknowledged the widespread discontent within the business community concerning the bonus. He dismissed the impression that every employee would receive the payment, calling it untrue and characterizing it as an instrument that can be utilized. Furthermore, according to Linnemann, a misconception had arisen that employers were responsible for relieving employees, when in fact, that is the responsibility of the state.
