Two months after the severe arson attack on Berlin’s power grid, officials still lack a clear lead. A response from the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI) to a parliamentary question by the Greens, reported by the Thursday edition of the “Rheinische Post”, underlines this uncertainty.
The government’s answers state that, even though a terrorist organization was initially suspected, other possible perpetrators are also being considered. The investigation remains open‑ended, with no predetermined conclusions.
In an alleged confession letter, the act was initially attributed to a left‑wing extremist “volcano group”. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) likewise early on identified a left‑extremist attack. Green parliamentary manager Irene Mihalic criticized Dobrindt for making such a premature assessment, reminding him that the evidence remains thin and that a hasty conclusion could be misleading.
Green politician Konstantin von Notz, chair of the parliamentary oversight committee on intelligence services, also expressed doubts. He said it is alarming how little the government knows about the backgrounds of the January attack on Berlin’s electricity supply. Von Notz called for the past shortcomings to be addressed, for a coherent picture of the so‑called volcano groups to be produced, and for an analysis of who, if anyone, is behind them, what links or distinguishes these groups, or whether other structures and networks are responsible.