As a former Chancellor: Merkel should get an office with nine employees

Angela Merkel is to get an office with nine employees after her chancellorship.

This emerges from a template for the main committee of the Bundestag, which is available to the German Press Agency.

Accordingly, the Federal Chancellery asks that the CDU politician be assigned an office manager, a deputy office manager, two specialist officers, three clerks and two drivers.

"After her chancellorship, the future Federal Chancellor (retired) will perform tasks in the interests of the federal government that result from ongoing official duties," it says in support of the statement.

In return for the new positions, vacant positions in the Ministry of Defense would be saved.

Former Chancellor Schröder had two fewer employees

It is common for former Chancellors to have an office and employees financed by the state.

However, according to information from the German Press Agency, former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder (SPD) had two fewer employees after his chancellorship in 2005 than Merkel is now supposed to get.

In 2019, the Budget Committee also decided that future Chancellors and Federal Presidents should only have one office manager, two speakers, an office or typist and a driver.

That would be four employees less than intended for Merkel.

However, the decision only applies to future chancellors and federal presidents.