The escalating political fallout from Berlin’s recent widespread power outage has intensified, with prominent figures within the Free Democratic Party (FDP) now publicly demanding the resignation of Governing Mayor Kai Wegner of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). FDP leader Christian Dürr’s sharp criticism directly links Wegner’s handling of the crisis to the leadership of CDU national chairman Friedrich Merz, suggesting a wider institutional vulnerability.
Dürr’s comments to Bild newspaper accuse Wegner of failing to uphold promises and being exposed as untruthful, further compounding a catalogue of perceived failures under his leadership. He points to issues across multiple policy areas – schools, traffic regulation and debt management – to depict a consistent downward trend during Wegner’s tenure, specifically highlighting frustration amongst commuters. Dürr’s accusation of Wegner’s dishonesty is particularly pointed, referencing a recent retraction of initial claims regarding his involvement in the crisis response.
The controversy stems from Wegner’s belated acknowledgement that he was playing tennis during the early stages of the blackout, a stark contrast to earlier statements suggesting his constant and active involvement in managing the emergency. His initial claims of being “locked away in his office” attempting to coordinate efforts have been widely discredited.
The outage itself impacted nearly 20,000 households and 850 businesses across four Berlin districts. While power has now been restored and repairs to the damaged cable bridge, initially the target of arson, progressed faster than anticipated, the political damage stemming from Wegner’s perceived mismanagement is considerable.
The FDP’s call for Wegner’s departure represents a significant escalation in the political pressure on the CDU, raising questions about the party’s ability to maintain public trust and the potential ramifications, should Wegner resist calls to step down, for Merz and the broader CDU leadership. The incident has underscored pre-existing concerns regarding the effectiveness and transparency of Berlin’s crisis management protocols and serves as a test of the CDU’s commitment to accountability.