Local authorities in Germany demanded today, Saturday, that the federal government provide more resources to protect civilians in the event of war, particularly calling for the rehabilitation of shelters.
German local newspapers reported that this appeal by the city union comes as the war in Ukraine enters its third year and follows statements by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius on Friday, during a visit to civil defense facilities in Finland, stating that Germany needs to provide greater protection, highlighting the urgent need to address this matter because civil defense, or population protection, is “always the flip side of the military threat and defense capability.”
The German minister, a member of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic Party, visited the civil defense facility Merihaka in the Finnish capital, which is used as a sports center in peacetime but has shelter facilities that can accommodate 900,000 people, exceeding the city’s population.
In contrast, Germany has never had shelters that can accommodate all its citizens, and since the end of the Cold War, it has sold state-owned shelters or left some abandoned. Andre Bergeijer, head of the Local Authorities Association, commented, “Today, it’s not just a matter of equipping the German army,” adding, “We must protect the population from the general risks of war.” This refers to the special €100 billion fund launched by Berlin to address gaps in its military after Russia’s military operation in Ukraine in February 2022.
He added, “The government must allocate significant amounts to improve internal resistance,” calling for the collection of one billion euros annually over the next decade, specifically dedicated to protecting civilian populations.
He continued, “Germany needs to build more shelters,” noting that of the 2,000 public shelters from the Cold War, only 600 remain, capable of accommodating about half a million people. “It has become urgent to reactivate the shelters that were taken out of service.”
