Geyer emphasized the importance of the civil service – particularly in education – remaining strike-free within areas of public welfare and underscored the commitment of civil servants who swear an oath to uphold the constitution, forming “a bulwark against extremism” He firmly rejected Linnemann’s initiative to reduce the number of tenured positions within federal ministries, warning against a system similar to the United States where a head of government could dismiss all public employees and restructure the entire state apparatus
The Green party also voiced criticism of Linnemann’s proposal on Sunday Marcel Emmerich, the Greens’ spokesperson for domestic affairs, stated that “in times of growing uncertainty and a shortage of skilled workers, qualified and dedicated staff are needed in areas such as education, internal security and justice” Emmerich argued that civil service status not only assures the functionality of the state but also guarantees neutrality and loyalty, while simultaneously calling for greater flexibility and permeability to facilitate transitions between the public and private sectors
However, the Free Democrats expressed general support for Linnemann’s initiative FDP leader Christian Dürr stated that reducing tenured positions in general administration isn’t necessarily wrong, but that the proposal obscures current trends Dürr pointed to a significant expansion of the federal administration under the current government, despite a coalition agreement to reduce personnel by eight percent by 2029 He also criticized the ongoing, nearly 800 million euro expansion of the Chancellery building, calling for an immediate halt to both practices and advocating for staff reduction rather than expansion
