Erfurt (dpa/th) – Thuringia’s state government wants to appoint two state secretaries as civil servants for life after the end of their probationary period this year, despite a critical report from the Court of Auditors. State Secretary for Culture Tina Beer’s probationary period ends on March 3, said State Chancellery Minister Benjamin-Immanuel Hoff (left) on Thursday in the state parliament in response to a request from the opposition CDU parliamentary group.
The probationary period for State Secretary Burkhard Vogel, who has been in office since May 2022, runs until April 30. The assumption of the two state secretaries in a civil service for life “there are no legal reasons,” said the head of the state chancellery.
This week, the opposition accused the red-red-green state government of nepotism and favoritism, referring to a preliminary audit report by the Court of Auditors. The report, which has been quoted by the media in recent weeks, came to the conclusion that some of the appointments made by state secretaries were “illegal”, “incorrect” or “incomprehensible”. The state government rejected it. In the meantime, the public prosecutor’s office in Erfurt is investigating the matter against unknown persons. It’s about the initial suspicion of infidelity.
Hoff did not answer questions from the CDU faction in the state parliament about the hiring practice of the red-red-green state government for positions in the environment of the ministers, which were also criticized by the Court of Auditors. The state government will not comment on detailed questions during an ongoing test process. He hopes that the test report will be available quickly. Then it can be clarified whether there have to be adjustments to the hiring practice in Thuringia or whether there might be different legal positions between the Court of Auditors and the government, according to the Head of the State Chancellery.
In the draft of its audit report, the Court of Auditors is said to have identified violations in the professional selection of employees such as personal advisors or office managers of ministers. Of the 64 appointments that were examined, the Court of Auditors is said to have found 34 incomprehensible. In 30 cases, the grouping and thus the payment was criticized.
