Berlin: An early morning power outage on January 3, 2026, in Berlin's Steglitz-Zehlendorf district left 45,000 households and 2,200 businesses without electricity, affecting approximately 100,000 people. The outage, caused by an arson attack on a cable bridge in Berlin-Lichterfelde, marked the most extensive power cut in Germany's post-war history. A left-wing extremist group claimed responsibility, prompting the Federal Public Prosecutor General to lead the investigation.

According to Anadolu Agency, the Berlin Senate declared a major disaster on January 4 and sought administrative assistance to deploy the German Armed Forces. Under Article 35 (2) and (3) of the German Basic Law, military intervention is permitted when police forces are unable to manage due to disasters or severe accidents. The power was fully restored by January 7. Berlin's Senator for Economic Affairs, Franziska Giffey, emphasized the need for a 'comprehensive and practical reassessment of existing transparency obligations.'

Disaster control in Germany remains the responsibility of federal states and local authorities, except in defense situations. This distribution has led to delays and coordination issues, reminiscent of the 2021 Ahr Valley floods. Despite the focus on secondary issues, the core problem of critical infrastructure supply remains unaddressed. Berlin's Governing Mayor Kai Wegner's crisis management, marked by personal missteps, attracted criticism and calls for his resignation. His actions, including playing tennis during the crisis, sparked debate about leadership in crisis situations.

Efforts to enhance critical infrastructure protection are ongoing. In July 2022, the federal government adopted a strategy to bolster disaster resilience, drawing lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic and past flood disasters. The strategy aims for integrated disaster management and adapting to evolving challenges. The German government also passed a draft law aligning with EU standards for critical infrastructure protection.

In response to the Berlin outage, the Bundestag debated strengthening disaster control on January 15. The AfD parliamentary group called for improved preparedness for large-scale power failures, advocating for uniform emergency power standards across Germany, particularly for essential services like hospitals and waterworks.

The Berlin incident highlighted the disorganized state of Germany's disaster control, lacking cross-state exercises and standardized practices. Digitalization shortcomings and inadequate emergency reserves further undermine preparedness. The delayed establishment of a National Security Council, outlined in the 2025 coalition agreement, underscores the need for federal-state cooperation in security matters. Germany's lack of a systematic risk assessment contrasts with neighboring countries like Switzerland and Austria.

The Berlin outage serves as a wake-up call, urging a reevaluation of Germany's security policies to address contemporary threats effectively.