Berlin’s CDU Justice Senator, Felor Badenberg, is calling on the federal government for financial aid due to skyrocketing costs within the judicial system. According to the Senate Department for Justice and Consumer Protection, the “extra expenses stemming from the capital city” related to personnel have surged dramatically, increasing from 16 million euros in 2022 to nearly 33 million euros last year.
These increased expenditures are reportedly linked to procedures involving federal policy. Investigators in Berlin are being heavily burdened by the sheer number of insults and threats directed at politicians. Furthermore, statements made by national politicians are increasingly drawing the attention of the justice system. For example, following comments made by Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) regarding migration creating problems in the “city image” the Berlin prosecutor’s office was required to handle approximately 2,000 criminal complaints.
Adding to the pressure, the number of lawsuits filed against the federal government regarding visa procedures has risen drastically, jumping from about 2,700 in 2020 to around 7,600 last year, a matter handled by the Berlin Administrative Court.
Badenberg stressed that the additional burden related solely to staffing costs has more than doubled over the last three years. She concluded that the state of Berlin cannot sustain these mounting expenses on its own in the long term.
