The recent widespread power outage in Berlin has starkly illuminated a critical vulnerability within Germany’s civil protection infrastructure, prompting a sharp rebuke from the head of the German Red Cross (DRK), Hermann Gröhe. Gröhe, a former CDU politician and Federal Minister of Health, is accusing the federal government of neglecting essential investments in disaster preparedness, a shortfall now being painfully exposed by the crisis.
Speaking to the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND), Gröhe emphasized the vital importance of contingency planning and resource stockpiling in the face of escalating threats. He specifically highlighted the need for mobile support modules – self-contained units capable of independently providing water, energy, healthcare and social services to as many as 5,000 people, effectively acting as miniature, resilient communities in crisis situations.
Politically, the consensus had been to procure a minimum of ten of these crucial modules across Germany. However, Gröhe revealed a concerning reality: only one and a half modules have been funded to date. Crucially, the current federal budget contains no provision for further expansion of this vital capacity, a point Gröhe has singled out for criticism.
The Berlin blackout serves as a potent reminder of the fragility of critical infrastructure and the disproportionate impact disruptions can have on citizens. Gröhe cautioned against an overly militaristic focus on national security, arguing that a robust civil and disaster protection framework is a non-negotiable element of societal resilience and a fundamental aspect of the state’s responsibility to provide for the well-being of its population. The lack of investment, he suggests, represents a systemic failure to adequately protect citizens and risks undermining Germany’s ability to respond effectively to future, potentially more severe, crises. The incident underscores a growing disconnect between political rhetoric regarding national security and the tangible, preventative measures necessary to safeguard the population.
