Saxony’s Interior Minister, Armin Schuster of the CDU, has called for further multi-billion Euro assistance from the federal government to bolster civil defense. Speaking to the Funke media group following the Interior Ministers Conference (IMK) in Hamburg, Schuster stated that financial needs and requirements for strengthening the civil protection structures of states and municipalities will persist well beyond 2029. This necessitates funding for various elements, such as the upkeep of multi-functional public protection centers or the rebuilding of essential temporary hospitals.
Consequently, the states expect the federal government to provide “financial sustainability comparable to military strategy” in the area of civilian defense, including an additional 20 billion Euros beyond 2029. Looking ahead, Schuster asserted that Germany must achieve an internationally established standard where civil defense expenditures reach the scale of ten percent of all military investments. He stressed that this funding would need to be supplementary to the existing military budget. Notably, the CDU politician previously led the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) between 2020 and 2022.
The civil defense capacity of Germany was a central topic during the multi-day meeting of federal and state interior ministers in Hamburg this week. According to Hamburg’s Interior Senator, Andy Grote (SPD), the departments plan to develop a “common roadmap” aimed at achieving comprehensive civil defense capability by 2029. Grote explained that the resilience of society has become critically important due to the high intensity of hybrid attacks and attempts at Russian destabilization.
