Politicians in Baden-Württemberg do not earn badly. The salary of Winfried Kretschmann, Frank Nopper and Co. can be viewed publicly.
It is no secret that politicians earn well. The salaries of ministers, Chancellor and Co. are publicly available. Nevertheless, hardly anyone can say off the cuff what, for example, prominent figures such as Angela Merkel, Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann or Stuttgart Mayor Frank Nopper get transferred to their account every month. echo24.de * gives an overview of the salaries of politicians in Baden-Württemberg.
First of all something fundamental (legal): that politicians earn money is regulated in Article 48, paragraph 3 of the constitution. According to this, politicians have a right to “adequate compensation that ensures their independence”. This means, on the one hand, that their salary should be high enough to reward the responsibility that an office entails and, on the other hand, that they should be less corruptible.
The MPs are entitled to appropriate compensation that ensures their independence.
Politician salaries in BaWü: How much Kretschmann and Co. earn
In Germany, the earnings of politicians are based on the so-called nominal wage index. In extremely simplified terms, one could say: if the average pay for work done in the country rises – for example through collective bargaining – the salaries of politicians also rise. Last year the value fell by 0.7 percent.
For the first time in history, diets will also decrease for politicians in the Bundestag in 2021. There is 70.58 euros less per month from July. The reason is the corona pandemic. Nevertheless, the MPs still come up with the proud sum of 10,012.89 euros. This currently applies to a total of twelve politicians from Baden-Württemberg.
Politicians’ salary: Angela Merkel is the top earner
The exact remuneration is regulated in Section 11 of the Federal Ministers Act and is based on the basic salary of the highest salary group in the public service, B11, including allowances. For B11, the monthly wage at federal level is 14,808.25. Chancellor Merkel’s salary is two thirds higher, federal ministers one third higher.
In addition – depending on the person and situation – there is a local allowance and service expense allowance. Angela Merkel also has a parliamentary mandate. This means that she also receives a reduced lump sum for a member of the Bundestag and half a diet.
Baden-Württemberg: State politicians earn so well
For Angela Merkel this means a basic salary as Federal Chancellor of around 25,000 euros plus half of the MP’s diet (around 5,000 euros) and the flat-rate fee (around 4,400 euros), the Chancellor comes to a total of around 35,000 euros per month.
The salary of members of the state government in Baden-Württemberg is also based on the earnings of grade B11. Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann * is 20 percent higher. That makes around 17,700 euros. In addition, there is an expense allowance of over 1,000 euros and the family allowance.
Salary politicians: That is what Baden-Württemberg’s ministers deserve
The ministers in Baden-Württemberg also earn not badly. They receive the B11 basic salary at state level of 14,839.37 euros as well as an expense allowance and, if necessary, a family allowance of at least around 155 euros. All in all, that makes more than 15,000 euros a month. It becomes even more so when you have to rent an apartment in Stuttgart because daily commuting is not possible.
The State Office for Salaries and Supply gives an overview of the salaries of civil servants in Baden-Württemberg. Here you can quickly find out which basic salary, for example, local politicians also receive. In the case of full-time mayors, it depends on the size of the municipality and the associated effort.
| Residents | Grade |
|---|---|
| up to 1,000 | A12 / 13 |
| until 2,000 | A14 / 15 |
| up to 5,000 | A15 / 16 |
| up to 10,000 | A16 / B2 |
| up to 15,000 | B2 / 3 |
| up to 20,000 | B3 / 4 |
| up to 30,000 | B4 / 5 |
| up to 50,000 | B6 / 7 |
| up to 100,000 | B7 / 8 |
| up to 200,000 | B9 / 10 |
| up to 500,000 | B10 / B11 |
| over 500,000 | B11 |
Baden-Württemberg: salary of mayors depending on the number of inhabitants
Heilbronn’s Lord Mayor Harry Mergel, for example, falls into grade B10 and receives more than 14,000 euros per month plus bonuses. With more than 600,000 inhabitants, Stuttgart is the largest city in Baden-Württemberg – for Lord Mayor Frank Nopper that means a lot of responsibility. As a member of salary group B11, he is paid almost 15,000 euros.
- Chancellor Angela Merkel: approx. 35,000 euros / month
- Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann: approx. 19,000 euros / month
- Interior Minister Thomas Strobl: approx. 15,000 euros / month
- Lord Mayor Frank Nopper: approx. 15,000 euros / month
- Councilors: between approx. 5,000 and approx. 12,000 euros / month (depending on the number of residents)
The salary of councilors is also regulated by the state municipal salary law. Depending on the number of residents and level of experience, it can be between almost 5,000 and around 12,000 euros.
Politician salaries: Much better than average, but well below top earners
Opinions are divided about whether the work justifies the money politicians receive. In any case, it is certain that politicians are in a very good position compared to the average Otto citizen. According to the statistics portal statista, the average gross salary of Germans with a full-time job in 2019 was 3,975 euros.
However, despite their high level of responsibility, politicians cannot keep up with top managers or football stars when it comes to coal. The Porsche boss can, for example, top the earnings *. The salaries at Daimler * are even higher. Top earner Ola Källenius should earn around 5.9 million euros a year.
According to the Bild newspaper, national coach Joachim Löw’s account should be the most full in this comparison. He is expected to earn an impressive 3.5 million euros a year – almost ten times that of the Chancellor alone. In the best case scenario, this sum could even double for him with advertising income. * echo24.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.
List of rubric lists: © Sebastian Gollnow / dpa
