Katharina Dröge, the leader of the Green party faction, has heavily criticized Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) regarding the high number of deaths linked to the recent heatwave. Speaking to the news portal “T-Online,” Dröge stated that Merz seemingly lacks the empathy to even offer a word of regret, suggesting he appeared to be in a state of shock. The Green politician deemed this political response unacceptable.
According to Dröge, the increased mortality due to heat is clearly a severe public health emergency. She emphasized that for elderly and ill individuals residing in healthcare and nursing facilities, the heat poses an existential threat, resulting in thousands of fatalities. She insisted that Federal Health Minister Carsten Linnemann (CDU) is responsible for protecting these vulnerable groups, urging him to “simply get things done” because the time for action is now.
Dröge also called for an immediate “action plan for climate-friendly cooling in care and health facilities.” She argued that the federal government should not continue shifting the responsibility onto financially strapped local municipalities, noting that climate adaptation is a shared societal duty.
Furthermore, Dröge asserted that the most crucial defense against even more intense heatwaves lies in combating the climate crisis itself. She concluded by characterizing the actions of the Merz government as a “political total disaster,” demanding that he correct his policy direction and halt the climate-damaging legislation proposed by Economics Minister Katherina Reiche (CDU).
These concerns are underscored by alarming statistics: estimates from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) indicate that nearly 10,000 people died in Germany solely because of the severe heatwave at the end of June. The RKI’s current weekly report specifically noted that approximately 9,600 heat-related deaths occurred during the week of June 22nd to June 28th.
