Düsseldorf. In the dispute over civil servant pay, North Rhine-Westphalia is standing by its controversial policy of factoring in fictional spousal income—but hints at possible revisions. "Most federal states also account for a fictional spouse's income," NRW Finance Minister Marcus Optendrenk (CDU) told the Neue Westfälische. "The core issue isn't the principle itself, but rather the application process tied to it, according to expert reports."
Germany's NRW faces backlash over unconstitutional civil servant pay rules
Since 2024, NRW has included a fictional partner income of €538 in its civil servant pay calculations, which increases an employee's notional earnings on paper without any real financial benefit. "In most states, if a civil servant isn't actually in a marriage or partnership with additional income, they must file an objection. Here in NRW, however, they can submit an application instead. We see this as a social safeguard," Optendrenk explained.
"The question for us now is whether we'll keep this application requirement in a future amendment. But the reality of people's lives hasn't changed: as a rule, if someone isn't living alone, they're living with someone who has an income." Legal experts had previously deemed the current law unconstitutional during a hearing in the NRW state parliament.
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