Government takes control of the Federal Court of Audit
In Berlin, the CDU/CSU and SPD are taking control of the Federal Court of Auditors, damaging the very authority that is supposed to independently audit the government's handling of taxpayers' money. After the departure of the previous president Kay Scheller after twelve years, the CDU member of the Bundestag Ansgar Heveling is to become the new president, while the SPD has already filled the vice post with the former Minister of Construction Klara Geywitz. The process hits the core of state financial supervision, because it means that both top offices go to politicians of the governing parties. Heveling's personality is particularly explosive, as he is considered a close confidant of Chancellor Friedrich Merz and still comes from active parliamentary business. The consequence is serious: one of the last effective control bodies of the federal government visibly loses distance from the very power it is supposed to monitor
Control of billions in party hands in the future
The Federal Court of Audit is not a subsidiary authority. It examines whether ministries are wasting money, projects failing or concealing risks. This is precisely why this institution needs political distance. If the government fills the top with its own people, it damages the independence of control.
In Berlin, the CDU/CSU and SPD are taking control of the Federal Court of Auditors, damaging the very authority that is supposed to independently audit the government's handling of taxpayers' money. After the departure of the previous president Kay Scheller after twelve years, the CDU member of the Bundestag Ansgar Heveling is to become the new president, while the SPD has already filled the vice post with the former Minister of Construction Klara Geywitz. The process hits the core of state financial supervision, because it means that both top offices go to politicians of the governing parties. Heveling's personality is particularly explosive, as he is considered a close confidant of Chancellor Friedrich Merz and still comes from active parliamentary business. The consequence is serious: one of the last effective control bodies of the federal government visibly loses distance from the very power it is supposed to monitor
Control of billions in party hands in the future
The Federal Court of Audit is not a subsidiary authority. It examines whether ministries are wasting money, projects failing or concealing risks. This is precisely why this institution needs political distance. If the government fills the top with its own people, it damages the independence of control.
5 comments:
"Ich komme von der Regierung und bin hier, um zu helfen." (Ronald Reagan paraphrased by Google translate.) Bwuahaha . . .
The German government appears to be going mad. At least according to the eugyppius blog.
Ratcheting down for ever more control with crazy women in charge of everything.
I think they are a role model for Herr Starmer, and his cabinet of fruitcakes!
Jannie - it was a grim comment at the time, but now...
Mike - that's my impression, eugyppius seems to despair at times as things just go from crazy to even more crazy.
The Lotus Eaters were discussing the other day, how the left in politics, instead of abiding by the conventional winning and losing in the electoral system, decided to subvert the system to their advantage with the ultimate aim of always being the party in government. They referred to Blair starting in 1997 and Brown continuing, but I realised the truth in their analysis, because exactly the same phenomena could be seen with the Democrats in the US, starting in real ernest with Obama. Now it is also happening in France and Germany.
Tammly - it seems to be working out like that. Behind the politics, the bureaucracy and its allies must feel safer with a party which favours more bureaucracy and more state spending. A party of the left which is never voted out suits them just fine and in numerous ways they facilitate it.
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