German Taxpayers Association details 100 cases of alleged public waste in annual Black Book

Federal prestige projects

The German Taxpayers Association presented its 54th annual Black Book in Berlin on Thursday, listing 100 cases where public funds were spent on questionable or disproportionate projects. Among federal projects, the association pointed to the planned government airport terminal at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER), warning that costs could rise up to 2.5 billion euros. The project was originally budgeted at 340 million euros, while property agency records reported in December pointed to 1.7 billion euros. The lobby group called for a halt to the project, arguing it must reflect functional needs.

Original budget340

December BImA records1,700

Taxpayers Association projection2,500

Original budget

340 € million

December BImA records

1700 € million

Taxpayers Association projection

2500 € million

Data from the article text

The report also criticized the ongoing 860 million euro renovation of Bellevue Palace, the official seat of the German president in Berlin. That calculation spans four construction phases and includes a risk buffer composed of 250 contingency items. A 1,300-meter security fence with video surveillance around the grounds accounts for nearly 24 million euros of the total sum. Association president Reiner Holznagel argued during the presentation that public bodies need greater oversight and accountability.

“In this sense, the Black Book is also partly a contribution to strengthening democratic structures.”

Subsidies and municipal spending

The 2026/2027 edition placed a special focus on state subsidy programs, describing some allocations as poisoned gifts. The association argued that local authorities often pursue projects simply to claim expiring state or federal grants rather than to meet local needs. In Hadamar, Hesse, the town built a 355,700 euro toilet facility at a fairground that will only be used on an estimated six days a year. The state of Hesse provided 292,500 euros from its Hesse Fund alongside a 32,500 euro interest-free loan, leaving the town with 30,700 euros in direct costs.

In Frankenthal, Rhineland-Palatinate, a wooden-clad automated bicycle parking tower with 96 spaces cost 1.3 million euros, which equals roughly 13,500 euros per spot. Built between December 2024 and May 2026, the tower received nearly 98 percent of its funding from a state climate program, while generating an estimated annual operating deficit of 30,000 euros. In Saarbrücken, the city spent 200,000 euros in federal grants to install decorative illuminated hearts and lettering on a new roundabout under the Westspange, though city officials maintained the design was part of an urban culture initiative.

Infrastructure and regional art

Infrastructure projects across northern and eastern Germany also drew scrutiny. In Lower Saxony, the reconstruction of the Friesenbrücke rail link to the Netherlands cost at least 227 million euros following a 2015 ship collision, compared to an estimated 30 million euros for an equivalent replacement. In Wangerland, costs for the Thalasso Meeres Spa rose from 4.6 million to 23 million euros, pushing the municipal tourism company into insolvency.

Bellevue Palace renovation860

Friesenbrücke reconstruction227

Thalasso Meeres Spa23

Linkenmühlenbrücke project12.4

Bremen training fund3.1

Frankfurt net sculpture2.3

Frankenthal bicycle tower1.3

Hesse corporate design0.8

Bellevue Palace renovation

860 € million

Friesenbrücke reconstruction

227 € million

Thalasso Meeres Spa

23 € million

Linkenmühlenbrücke project

12.4 € million

Bremen training fund

3.1 € million

Frankfurt net sculpture

2.3 € million

Frankenthal bicycle tower

1.3 € million

Hesse corporate design

0.8 € million

Data from the article text

In eastern Thuringia, the association criticized a 12.4 million euro bridge at the Hohenwarte reservoir, where federal and state grants covered pedestrian, cycling, and emergency traffic but barred general car transit, forcing motorists onto a 35-kilometer detour. In Frankfurt, the city spent 2.3 million euros on the light sculpture "A Sky Full of Hope" at Konstablerwache, while the state of Hesse spent nearly 800,000 euros updating its corporate design and lion emblem. Joachim Papendick, chairman of the association's Hessian branch, criticized the expenditure.

“The city of Frankfurt could have saved itself that.”