justice
EU Commission: German judges must be better paid
A judge in a courtroom in Brandenburg. Photo: Fabian Sommer/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
According to an investigation by the EU Commission, judges in Germany do not earn enough. In principle, however, a good certificate is issued for the rule of law in Germany.
According to the EU Commission, judges in Germany should be better paid. In a study on the state of the rule of law presented in Luxembourg, the Brussels authority points to challenges in hiring judges.
With a view to the upcoming retirement of judges, the attractiveness of the profession is also important. Efforts to “provide adequate resources for the justice system” as part of the new “rule of law pact”, including the level of judges’ salaries, must be continued.
The EU Commission also sees a need for improvement when politicians move to business, for example. The so-called cooling-off phase for federal ministers and parliamentary state secretaries after their work in politics must be longer. The procedures for approving new jobs for senior civil servants also need to be more transparent. In addition, efforts to make lobbying work on new laws more transparent must be continued. The plans, a legal basis for the right of the press to information from the federal authorities and the adjustment of the tax exemption for non-profit organizations must be pushed forward.
In principle, however, the EU Commission gives the rule of law in Germany good marks. The independence of the judiciary is still perceived as very high and Germany enjoys a high level of media freedom and diversity.
Rule of law “TÜV”: Poor grades for Poland and Hungary
Since 2020, the EU Commission has published its so-called rule of law “TÜV” once a year. In it, she examines the state of the judicial system, the fight against corruption, and media freedom and diversity in the 27 EU countries. This year, for the first time, she also made recommendations on how the federal states can improve the situation.
In contrast to Germany, the judgment of the EU Commission in countries such as Poland and Hungary is devastating. The authority reports concerns about the independence of the judiciary, sees media diversity at risk and considers the fight against corruption and lobbying to be insufficient.