German government earns €1.1 billion from corporate stakes in 2025

The German government earned around €1.1 billion ($1.25 billion) last year from its corporate shareholdings, according to a response from the Finance Ministry to a parliamentary inquiry by The Left party.

Most of the revenue came from the state's stake in Deutsche Telekom, the ministry said. In total, nine direct federal shareholdings generated profits or payments to the federal budget in the 2025 fiscal year.

"Federal shareholdings are not only strategically important, they also bring considerable money into the budget every year," Christian Görke, budget policy spokesman for The Left party, told dpa.

He said the €1.1 billion generated last year was a significant amount.

Görke argued the state should not reduce its holdings, particularly in strategic sectors such as energy, including electricity grids and the PCK refinery.

Selling stakes such as its holding in Deutsche Telekom would quickly become a loss-making deal, he said, adding that citizens could also benefit financially, for example through cheaper electricity grid expansion if state financing conditions were more favourable.