Green Party politician Marcel Emmerich argues that the federal government’s plans for expanding civil defense are insufficient. Speaking to the news portal T-Online, Emmerich stated that while Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) has the means to allocate funds, he has yet to provide a coherent answer regarding how Germany should truly function during a major crisis.
Emmerich pressed for a stable, overall strategy that incorporates clear protective objectives, defined crisis scenarios, and concrete preventive plans for the population, arguing that merely investing funds is not enough. Although acknowledging that Dobrindt is addressing long-delayed reform deficits-such as the coordination center within the Ministry of the Interior and strengthening the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW)-the Green politician stressed that a genuinely crisis-proof strategy remains lacking a convincing concept for cooperation among the federal government, the states, and local municipalities.
Furthermore, Emmerich highlighted unresolved issues concerning how critical infrastructure can be better protected, how the population can be best prepared, and how essential services like warning systems, shelters, and supplies should remain functional during an emergency.
He concluded by pointing out the Green Party’s prior achievement, stating that his party successfully pushed for an area exception for defense and civil protection during the reform of the debt brake, thereby laying the groundwork for an additional 10 billion euros. Emmerich warned that discussions around civil protection must not be limited merely to vehicle handovers and press photos.