State secretaries
Source: Stefan J. Müller
State secretaries are the highest-ranking civil servants in a federal ministry. They are responsible for ensuring that the ministry is able to carry out its tasks in line with the minister’s directions and guidance; they also represent the minister as head of this supreme federal authority within the ministry and beyond. Because this position requires a high level of agreement with the minister’s policy and subject-related objectives, state secretaries, unlike other civil servants, may be suspended at any time on the recommendation of the federal minister.