The traffic light government approves numerous new positions at its start.

In total, there are 176 mostly highly paid jobs.

With the coalition agreement of the new federal government, additional content-related priorities and changed working structures have been agreed, wrote the parliamentary finance state secretary Florian Toncar (FDP).

Manfred Schäfers

Business correspondent in Berlin.

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"In order to be able to meet these requirements immediately, 81 posts and positions are required for the management areas of the departments," says his letter to the President of the Bundestag Bärbel Bas (SPD) on December 13th.

For the establishment of the new Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Construction, 95 jobs are required according to his information.

The new federal government justifies its actions by pointing a finger at its black and red predecessor: "Overall, compared to 2018, it has been shown that, even taking into account the establishment of a new ministry, fewer additional posts and jobs should be created," Toncar said in a letter.

The previous government created 209 new jobs

At that time, it had approved 209 new positions as one of its first official acts.

However, these should not be dropped, it will be increased again.

Toncar wrote that savings would be made elsewhere "to an equal financial extent".

Last but not least, this should apply to customs and the armed forces.

In 2018, the Greens sharply reprimanded the hectic hustle and bustle of black and red.

The spokesman for the parliamentary group for budgetary policy, Sven-Christian Kindler, spoke at the time of a "quick-start process".

"To press the tube like that, without proper debate, without referring to the plenary is unacceptable," he grumbled.

Now the government is picking up the pace again.

Toncar referred to "particular urgency and urgency".

Kindler is still the budgetary spokesman for his group, but nothing has been heard from him.

Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck (Greens) is to receive 28 positions in the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

"This is where the entire political and strategic planning and communication takes place, especially the central and cross-departmental topic of 'climate protection'," it says.

The Chancellery receives 21 new posts.

The Vice Chancellor is no longer in the Ministry of Finance, but Christian Lindner (FDP) does not lose the 41 jobs that Olaf Scholz had received at the time, he even gets two: one in salary group B 11, i.e. a State Secretary (14,808.25 Euros per month).

Jörg Kukies goes to the Chancellery and leaves an open position at the Ministry of Finance

Cryptically, the reason is: "Implementation of the agreed, changed work structures and additional focus areas." It had previously become known that Scholz was bringing his State Secretary Jörg Kukies to the Chancellery with this rank. No such position is also shown there. It looks like Kukies is taking this with her and Lindner is getting the new one because of that. Kukies takes care of the economy and Europe in the Chancellery. Steffen Meyer will be the new head of the economy department, most recently sub-department head for fundamental issues in the Ministry of Finance.

The newly elected budget spokesman for the Union parliamentary group, Christian Haase, called three requested positions for the office of the Federal President "outrageous".

"Establishing a direct connection with the ability of the federal government to work is absurd," he told the FAZ.

Mathias Middelberg will take care of taxes and the budget in the future as vice-chairman of the parliamentary group.

Ex-Chancellery Minister Helge Braun (CDU) is to chair the budget committee of the Bundestag.