Berlin digital state secretary Hundt dismissed after 75 days – receives €50,736
Matthias Hundt (CDU) had himself officially dismissed by the Berlin Senate to receive transitional payment. Criminal investigations by the Dresden prosecutor's office had triggered his departure.
Withdrawal from withdrawal: Hundt chooses the expensive option for taxpayers
After just 75 days as digital state secretary, Matthias Hundt (57, CDU) is leaving the Berlin Senate Chancellery – and at the expense of taxpayers. According to BILD, Hundt had himself officially dismissed by the Senate on Tuesday, after initially requesting his own dismissal but withdrawing that request two days later.
The reason for the tactical manoeuvre: had Hundt maintained his original resignation, he would not have been entitled to transitional payment, unlike senators. Following his official dismissal by the Senate, he now receives €50,736 for six months, equivalent to 71.75 per cent of his previous monthly gross salary of €11,785.
Under civil service law, such a withdrawal from resignation is possible: civil servants can revoke a dismissal request within 14 days. According to BILD, Hundt apparently did not initially know that he would receive no transitional payment in the event of a voluntary departure.
In the Berlin town hall, Hundt had recently not been seen for days. His duties are being assumed by another state secretary on an additional basis until the Berlin House of Representatives election on 20 September.
The trigger for his departure was research by MDR and rbb: the Dresden prosecutor's office is investigating in connection with the insolvency of a former company belonging to Hundt. Two health insurance funds had initiated the proceedings – a step that, according to BILD, typically only takes place when social security contributions are not remitted despite reminders. The insolvency proceedings over the assets of his consultancy firm SDC Sachsen Digital Consulting GmbH had already been opened in November 2025.
Hundt himself described the matter as "disagreement over the entitlement to relatively minor health insurance contributions". The presumption of innocence applies.
In the Berlin Senate Chancellery, this matter had not been known before Hundt's appointment in March by Mayor Kai Wegner (53, CDU).
Source: BILD