Reform of Public Service Regulation

Abstract

The issue of the legal framework governing public servants in Germany, or Beamtenrecht, is politically sensitive in Germany, as the status of appointment as a Beamte, better translated as “public” than simply “civil” servant, embracing as it does both teachers and police officers alongside officials in the Land and federal administrations, is one which holds a degree of social as well as economic status. The title of Beamte is both revered and desired within broad sections of society, though its appropriateness is disputed by political thinkers on the Left. Pressure to decentralise responsibility for public service regulation had come largely from the richest and most powerful Länder, who wanted to pay more to secure the best talent. Yet decentralisation and resulting territorial variation in both pay levels as well as conditions of service was vehemently opposed by the unions representing public servants. Decisions over moves to allow territorial policy variation on public servants’ pay therefore offer some core insights into the German federal psyche more broadly, showcasing the core lines of conflict over territorial diversity and national cohesion that find echoes across the entire policy spectrum.