Wolfgang Förster: State Secretary in the Saarland Ministry of Finance

What do graduates of Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU) do for a living? In order to introduce students to different perspectives, Michaela Thiel and her team from the central alumni network "Uni Würzburg Community" regularly interview selected alumni.

In conversation today: Wolfgang Förster. He studied economics at the University of Würzburg and worked as an assistant to Professor Werner Noll in the Chair of Public Finance from 1984 to 1988. He is currently the Saarland State Secretary for Finance and Science in Saarbrücken.

Mr Förster, how did you end up in Saarland?

In 1988, the Saarland Ministry of Finance was looking for an economist to help with budget consolidation and to provide a financial basis for the appeal against the Fiscal Equalisation Act before the Federal Constitutional Court. In Professor Werner Noll's team, where I was working at the time, we also dealt with practical issues of fiscal federalism. Against this background, the task of overcoming the Saarland's extreme budgetary emergency and stabilising the state budget was very appealing to me. Stabilising the budget situation of the state and its municipalities has remained one of my most important tasks to this day.

You held many positions in the Ministry of Finance. Which one was particularly important?

In each of my positions, I was able to gain experience that helps me today as State Secretary. Whether as a consultant for fundamental economic issues, as a cabinet officer, as a press spokesperson, as head of the policy unit in the budget department, as a tax estimator, as head of unit for the budgets of the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Finance, for municipal financial equalisation and medium-term financial planning, among other things. Ultimately, my job as head of the budget department, which I held for eleven years, was certainly the most important for my current position.

What do you particularly like about your job?

One of the privileges of my office is the opportunity - usually in the background - to help set the course of important state policy to the best of my knowledge and belief on a sound professional basis and to prepare the administration for the challenges of the future in my own department.

What do you find challenging?

The need to adapt to very different topics within a very short space of time, to orientate myself in each case and to make qualified decisions. I couldn't do this without the fantastic support of my team.

Do you still experience surprises in office?

Due to my many years of experience in the ministry, there are very few things that really surprise me. What I did see coming, but regret a little, is that I have less time than before to deal intensively with technical issues.

Where do you find a balance to your work?

I like to spend my limited free time with my wife, my family, reading, running and (home) rowing.

What is your favourite memory of your time as a student?

I still have very fond memories of the professional and personal contacts with my colleagues at the Chair of Public Finance as a student, as a research assistant and finally as an assistant.

Thank you very much for the interview!

Are you not yet a member of the alumni network "Uni Würzburg Community" or Alumni & Friends e.V.? Then you are cordially invited to register! You can do so on the Community website. There you will also find the interviews with JMU alumni and alumnae published so far.