Potsdam (dpa/bb) – A ruling by Germany's Federal Constitutional Court means thousands of civil servants in Brandenburg will receive back pay, placing a massive financial burden on the state. Finance Minister Daniel Keller (SPD) told the Tagesspiegel the decision would cost the state a "colossal sum," calling it "a sword of Damocles." The ruling is expected to add between €300 million and €600 million annually to Brandenburg's budget, he said.
German Court Orders Massive Back Pay for Underpaid Civil Servants
In 2025, the Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe determined that civil service salaries between 2008 and 2020—with only a few exceptions—had been unconstitutionally low, leaving many employees underpaid for years. The decision now triggers substantial retroactive payments.
Keller noted that the ruling applies to all 16 federal states and the national government, while unresolved past cases continue to pile up. "This could mean an additional one-time expenditure of €400 million to €700 million for Brandenburg," he told the Tagesspiegel.
"The key now is to swiftly establish pay scales that comply with the constitution," the minister stressed. A new civil service remuneration law is needed to retroactively implement the latest wage increases as of April 1. "Whether we'll also adjust salaries this year in response to the Karlsruhe ruling is something I'll discuss with unions and associations," Keller said. "At the very least, we must begin implementation with the 2027 and 2028 budgets."
