A year after the Ministry for Digitalization and State Modernization (BMDS) was established, the ministry still reported over 100 unfilled positions. This figure came as a response by the ministry to an inquiry submitted by the Green parliamentary faction, as cited by T-Online.
Minister Karsten Wildberger (CDU) noted in the Bundestag on Thursday that the BMDS currently employs 550 staff. Addressing the inquiry, he stated that as of April 30, 2026, there were a total of 109 vacant positions.
According to the ministry’s response, the primary reasons for the vacancies are the ongoing “structural work” required for the ministry’s development, alongside general, typical staff turnover. The minister added that many planned roles are currently still being filled.
The staffing gaps exist across all departments. Specific numbers cited include: 36 vacant positions within the new ministry’s central administrative unit; 22 roles in the house management; 20 positions in the department for state modernization and bureaucracy reduction; 13 roles in the department for digital policy and economy; nine positions for communication and strategy; six roles in the Deutschland-Stack department; and three positions in the Department of Digital Infrastructures. The Deutschland-Stack is a major ministry project aimed at digitalizing state administration.
Rebecca Lenhard, the Green parliamentary spokesperson for digital policy, criticized the ministry’s pace of development, calling the current situation “disappointing”. Lenhard stated to T-Online that the remaining open positions revealed much about the ministry’s “actual operational capacity”. She added that given these issues, the fact that concrete measures are still lacking is hardly surprising: “Anyone who wants to modernize the state needs not only headlines, but also structures, personnel, and the necessary implementing power”.
