Will Franziska Giffey remain governing mayor? The coalition negotiations are not only politically important – there is also a lot of money at stake.
Should Franziska Giffey no longer be the governing mayor of Berlin after the current coalition negotiations, this could have a significant impact on the so-called pension – her pension, so to speak. This is reported by the “Berliner Zeitung”. According to the report, Giffey could lose two million euros in total.
This is due to a regulation that also applies to senators: They are only entitled to a pension after four years in office. According to research by the “Tagesspiegel”, this can also become a problem with a new government – which would initially only be elected until 2026. Anyone who only comes into office in the coming weeks could not get to the four years, but a maximum of three and a half years.
Giffey was Minister for three years
The reason: the most recent Berlin election was a repetition of the previous one, not a new election. So the 2021 to 2026 legislative period continues to apply. Giffey would only be Governing Mayor for a little over a year.
Giffey’s problem: The 44-year-old quickly rose to the federal government, but after a short time she switched to the Red Town Hall. The same applies to the federal government: anyone who leaves after four years is entitled to a lavish “pension” one day. Giffey was federal family minister for three years and 67 days.
Wegner could decide Giffey’s pension
The city of Berlin’s pension is impressive: According to the “Berliner Zeitung”, Giffey could receive a monthly pension of between 4,771 and 12,341 euros from the age of fifty-five if she stayed in office for four years. With a life expectancy of 80 years, that would amount to up to two million euros for Giffey. She would only be entitled to it if she reached the age of four – which she could also do as a senator, according to the “Berliner Zeitung”.
If Giffey does not belong to a new government in Berlin, she would still have a chance of getting her pension: she could have her time as a federal minister credited to her time in the Red City Hall. This is what the Senate Act in Berlin provides. The Senate would then decide whether this would happen – in that case it would probably be one under the leadership of CDU man Kai Wegner.
