Germany prepares for national emergency with civil defense plan

Insight

Germany prepares for national emergency with civil defense plan

A new civil defense plan has been leaked in Germany. It’s designed to prepare citizens for a national emergency. 

CCTV’s Guy Henderson reports from Berlin.
Follow Guy Henderson on Twitter @guyhendersonde

 

Although Germany denies that the plan could bring back military conscription, it brings back the memory of the Cold War, during which the country’s last civil defense plan was carried out.

The last time most Germans were thinking seriously about a civil defense plan, nuclear bunkers were a central part of it.

At the time, they created bunkers which were designed to withstand a nuclear blast and save the lives of potentially thousands of people. More than a dozen of bunkers were constructed across Berlin at a time when many genuinely feared nuclear confrontation.

Now, for the first time since the Cold War, the German government has begun updating its civil defense strategy, adapting it to new kinds of threats. Reportedly the plan includes dealing with terrorism and “hybrid conflict,” a term widely used to describe alleged Russian actions in Ukraine.

The announcement has been mocked by some. Others see it as sensible.

“Opposition parties gave the impression that the government is asking the public to panic-buy goods,” said German Interior Minister Thomas De Maiziere. “That is wrong. What we want is strong citizens who can live safely in freedom. And strength comes through reasonable preparation.”

The days of nuclear bunkers may be long gone. But Germany is once again preparing for the very worst.


Ansgar Graw on Germany’s national security

For more on Germany’s national security and emergency preparedness, CCTV America’s Elaine Reyes spoke to Ansgar Graw, senior political correspondent for the German national newspaper, Die Welt.