The recent sabotage and widespread power outage in Berlin have ignited a fierce debate regarding Germany’s vulnerability to attacks on critical infrastructure, prompting calls for a drastic overhaul of national security strategies. The BVMW, the Federation of German Small and Medium-Sized Businesses, is now demanding the creation of a specialized “Crisis Special Operations Unit” (Krisen-SEK) to swiftly respond to future incidents and mitigate their impact on businesses.
“We can no longer rely on the principle of hope” stated BVMW President Christoph Ahlhaus, emphasizing the need for readily deployable, specialized response teams. The economic repercussions of the Berlin blackout, estimated by the CDU Economic Council to reach double-digit millions of euros, underscore the severity of the situation. Beyond shuttered businesses and disrupted supply chains, the widespread disruption to education and childcare – preventing many from working – highlights the cascading effects of even relatively limited attacks.
Wolfgang Steiger, General Secretary of the CDU Economic Council, expressed deep concern about the potential consequences of a coordinated, large-scale assault. “The damage inflicted by a few leftist extremists through a single act of sabotage on the outskirts of the city is alarming, raising fears about what could happen in a wider, coordinated attack. We are starkly realizing how vulnerable our economic and everyday lives have become”. He pointedly noted that the incident exposes critical gaps in Germany’s infrastructure resilience.
The CDU Economic Council is urging the federal government to undertake a comprehensive review of the energy infrastructure and to systematically address its vulnerabilities. Specific attention is being directed towards the escalating threat posed by drone reconnaissance, with warnings that photographic intelligence gathered during these overflights may already be informing planning for future attacks.
Steiger highlighted that Germany’s power grid is already a frequent target of hybrid and cyberattacks – a reality he described not as a distant threat, but as an ongoing concern. He called for a “strategic course correction” moving away from fragmented responsibilities towards an integrated and actionable protection system for critical infrastructures.
The call to action includes significant investment in preventative measures, redundancy protocols, emergency preparedness plans and comprehensive training programs. Crucially, the CDU Economic Council advocates for a more active role for private sector companies and infrastructure operators in national security frameworks, positioning them as strategic partners rather than mere recipients of regulatory directives. “Cybersecurity and hybrid protection are a matter of national competitiveness and must be prioritized and funded accordingly”. The incident has laid bare a fundamental question about Germany’s future preparedness – can the nation adequately safeguard its vital infrastructure against an increasingly sophisticated and persistent threat landscape?