Special depart for civil servants: What is behind the allegations in opposition to the SPD? | EUROtoday

As of: March 20, 2026 • 6:25 p.m

Before the election in Rhineland-Palatinate there may be criticism of the SPD. It’s about particular depart for civil servants and the accusation that state constructions may have been used for get together work.

The race to find out who will grow to be Prime Minister of Rhineland-Palatinate and be allowed to maneuver into the Mainz State Chancellery is extraordinarily shut. According to surveys, CDU opposition chief Gordon Schnieder’s as soon as big lead has now shrunk to only one proportion level. Prime Minister Alexander Schweitzer not too long ago expressed his confidence that he would have the ability to win the ultimate spurt.

Now, for the second time on this election marketing campaign, allegations are being made in opposition to the SPD. They come on the fallacious time for his or her prime candidate.

Promotion on particular depart for SPD State Secretary

It’s about right this moment’s State Secretary, Daniel Stich. According to newspaper reviews and analysis by the SWR He had been granted particular depart – underneath the federal government of Malu Dreyer. Stich took a seven-year depart of absence to work for the SPD as managing director and later as common secretary of the get together.

According to data from SWR he was even promoted throughout this particular depart within the Ministry of the Interior. The CDU opposition criticizes: “Special leave in civil service is not only inappropriate, but also undermines trust in the state.”

Criticism of one other civil servant’s particular depart

It shouldn’t be the primary accusation of this type in opposition to the SPD state authorities on this election marketing campaign. Almost two weeks in the past it turned recognized that the SPD-led Interior Ministry had granted particular depart to a civil servant with the intention to arrange the get together’s present election marketing campaign. She has been on depart since 2024 and till the top of May this yr.

The CDU opposition accuses the SPD of “campaigning at the expense of taxpayers.” The Free Voters see a “massive justice problem” as a result of such an strategy is “unimaginable for normal employees”.

violation of Obligation of neutrality and Equal alternatives?

The constitutional lawyer Ulrich Battis from Berlin’s Humboldt University says that the Federal Constitutional Court has dominated a number of instances {that a} strict distinction should be made between get together work and state exercise. Battis sees the process as a violation of the obligation of neutrality and the equal alternatives of the events.

Friedhelm Hufen, constitutional lawyer on the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, can not perceive the Rhineland-Palatinate SPD’s argument both. The Federal Constitutional Court has identified in lots of judgments that no state assets could also be utilized in election campaigns.

Hufen emphasizes that he doesn’t see a violation of the duty of neutrality, however somewhat an inequality of competitors between the events. Small events, particularly people who have been combating to get into the state parliament, didn’t have “well-connected officials” who they might make use of. The SPD acquired “significant advantages” from the official working as a marketing campaign supervisor. In precept, particular depart is justified as a result of events are a part of democracy. There are additionally no monetary issues if the get together pays a pension complement along with the pension entitlements.

Different authorized evaluation

The incumbent SPD Interior Minister Michael Ebling defends his firm’s actions and makes it clear: “Special vacations are legal, including for civil servants, even if they work for parties during this time.”

Constitutional lawyer Joachim Wieland from the University of Speyer sees it equally. He argues that particular depart is meant particularly for civil servants from the ministerial administration to maneuver into the social sector, for instance in enterprise or in events. “During this time, the civil servant must be able to continue to make provisions for his old age and this is done by further increasing his pension entitlements,” explains Wieland.

SPD rejects allegations

The SPD sees the talk about particular depart as a political marketing campaign by the CDU and Free Voters. The Rhineland-Palatinate SPD common secretary Gregory Scholz accuses the CDU of “obvious double standards” and sees a “constructed scandal”. The CDU depends a lot on “mood-mongering” that it doesn’t query its personal actions.

The Ministry of the Interior has met all authorized necessities. Leave of absence is permitted if it serves official pursuits or public issues. Civil servants have the proper to freedom of expression and are allowed to interact in politics. The work of civil servants in a celebration serves “the functionality of democracy and our state as a whole.”

In addition, the civil servant doesn’t obtain any wage from the state through the particular depart. Your pension entitlements proceed to rise – by nearly 1.8 % per yr. SPD General Secretary Gregory Scholz mentioned: “The SPD Rhineland-Palatinate covers all costs and pays a compensation payment to the state for the duration of the leave of absence. The state does not suffer any financial disadvantage.”

Schweitzer open to altering civil service legislation

Im Morning journal from ARD and ZDF On Friday, the SPD’s prime candidate and incumbent Prime Minister Alexander Schweitzer commented on the allegations and referred to as them “hypocritical.” Even the Chancellor employs an workplace supervisor who was concerned within the election marketing campaign and was on depart as a federal civil servant within the Ministry of Economic Affairs throughout this time.

When requested whether or not he understood {that a} “weird feeling” arose, Schweitzer replied: “I understand any discussion about such connections.” He is open to altering civil service legislation: “If someone tells me that we want to change this together, then I want to discuss it, but then we have to change it nationwide, for all federal states and for all parties.” The present subject is “election campaign,” says Schweitzer.

Head-to-head racing within the election marketing campaign

The SPD’s main candidate is underneath huge strain and is even speaking concerning the “fight of his life” as a result of the SPD has been in authorities in Rhineland-Palatinate for 35 years with out interruption. Schweitzer, who took over his workplace from the outgoing Malu Dreyer two years in the past, doesn’t wish to be compelled out of the State Chancellery by CDU man Gordon Schnieder.

He, in flip, is utilizing the allegations in opposition to Schweitzer’s SPD to promote himself: “State secretaries on leave must not get the best of both worlds,” mentioned Schnieder, with the intention to on the identical time ship the message that as Prime Minister he would “end this practice.”