Germany to improve critical infrastructure protection, Chancellor Merz says

The German government wants to better protect its critical infrastructure and will restrict access to some information that is currently public. After the first coalition talks of the year, Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz said yesterday evening, according to DPA. An arson attack on a cable bridge left up to 100.000 people without electricity for several days and paralyzed part of Berlin this year. Merz said the attack had shown just how dependent Germany is on stable infrastructure.

"We must move away from our extensive transparency and focus on greater resilience," Merz said.

He noted that protecting infrastructure would include, for example, making information about it less easily accessible to the public than it is today. The government also wants infrastructure to be repaired more quickly. A Critical Infrastructure Act is intended to help with this; its draft is currently before the Bundestag.

The fire on a cable bridge over the Teltow Canal on 3 January caused the longest power outage in Berlin's post-war history to date. It affected the Steglitz-Zehlendorf district at a time when it was snowing and temperatures were below zero. According to authorities, 45.000 households and 2200 businesses were left without electricity and heating; supplies were fully restored after four days.

A far-left activist group calling itself Vulkangruppe claimed responsibility for the attack. According to its statement, the action targeted an economy based on fossil fuels.