The recent power outage in Berlin has intensified calls for a significant overhaul of Germany’s critical infrastructure protection, with Green Party parliamentary group leader Britta Haßelmann directly challenging Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) to act swiftly. Haßelmann argues that the minister now bears a clear responsibility to prioritize and accelerate improvements to a system demonstrably vulnerable after years of neglect.
“Interior Minister Dobrindt is now accountable” stated Haßelmann in an interview with Funke-Mediengruppe newspapers. “The protection of our infrastructure, long overlooked, must be urgently scaled up and civilian protection significantly strengthened”. The Green Party’s recent approval of a special fund, she emphasized, has allocated the necessary financial resources; the onus now falls on the federal government to deliver on its commitments.
Haßelmann specifically urged increased financial support directed to municipalities. She contends local authorities must be empowered to respond rapidly and effectively during crisis situations, a capability currently hampered by a lack of resources. The absence of federal funding for mobile care modules – self-contained units providing essential services like shelter, sanitation and food to large numbers of people – has been deemed “reckless”. These modules are essential for effectively supporting populations in the immediate aftermath of disruptions.
The Green politician highlighted the escalating frequency of attacks targeting critical infrastructure, warning that incidents, like the Berlin power outage, can have devastating consequences. This concern, she notes, has been a consistent warning from the Green Party, prompting their insistence on including civilian protection within the scope of the special infrastructure fund. Haßelmann’s remarks signal a growing political tension, with the opposition Green Party pressing the governing CSU-led coalition to move beyond mere financial allocation and demonstrate tangible improvements in protecting the nation’s infrastructure and its citizens. The ongoing debate raises critical questions about the balance of responsibility between the federal government and municipalities in safeguarding Germany against increasingly complex threats.