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Judges' salaries in Thuringia: unconstitutionality uncovered!
The VG Meiningen declares Thuringian judges' salaries to be unconstitutional. Over 1,000 lawsuits and a referral to the Federal Constitutional Court followed.
Judges' salaries in Thuringia: unconstitutionality uncovered!
In Thuringia, an important legal dispute is brewing over the salaries of civil servants and judges, which is heating up tempers. The trade union umbrella organization tbb civil service association and tariff union Thuringia has already pointed out several times that alimony in Thuringia is unconstitutional. Since 2020, more than 15,000 civil servants and judges have filed objections against their pay, while over 1,000 lawsuits are pending in the administrative courts. A court ruling at the Meiningen Administrative Court could now have far-reaching effects on the salary structure.
On November 5, 2025, two model lawsuits regarding judges' salaries for the years 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2024 were on the agenda at the Meiningen Administrative Court. The result? The court found that the salary in these years was unconstitutionally too low. The crucial point here is non-compliance with the minimum distance to basic security. According to the court, for a model family, civil servants in the lowest salary group must have an amount of at least 15% above the basic security - a criterion that was not met in the years 2020 to 2022 and 2024. The VG Meiningen criticized the fact that the legislature's calculations were often one-sided in favor of the Free State of Thuringia.
Significant deficiencies in the salary system
The court sees the current salary system as a structural problem that not only affects the wealth level of judges, but also other professional groups such as teachers, police officers and firefighters in Thuringia. The state parliament is called upon to take action to remedy the deficiencies in salary law. It is also interesting that a special payment of up to 3,000 euros for judges in 2023 temporarily improved their salaries, but did not solve the fundamental problems of the minimum distance requirement.
Yesterday it was decided that the results of the hearing would be forwarded to the Federal Constitutional Court for review. If the unconstitutionality were to be explicitly confirmed, it would be a major setback for the current salary law, and a reassessment of all relevant salary structures could become unavoidable.
Future outlook for Thuringian civil servants
The tbb plans to provide its members with a model objection for 2025. However, it remains questionable when a law on constitutional alimony will be presented for 2025. It would be advisable to act quickly because the pressure on the country is enormous - especially at a time when qualified personnel are desperately needed.
Overall, the situation remains tense. The outcome of the test cases and the reactions of the Thuringian state government are certainly crucial for the future remuneration of civil servants and judges. Thuringia now has to show a good hand in order to guarantee legal security for those affected.