Germany Invests Billions in Civil Protection

The German government plans to allocate €10bn to strengthen civil protection and emergency preparedness, including measures against potential attacks. Ministers are expected to approve specific measures on Wednesday.

The package is intended to complement rising defense spending following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The funds will be used to modernize medical infrastructure for mass casualty situations, purchase around 1,000 specialized vehicles and 110,000 portable beds, and invest in shelters and public warning systems.

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that “we cannot talk about and invest in defense capabilities without also supporting civil protection”.

Germany is also responding to threats linked to extremism and hybrid warfare, including possible attacks on energy infrastructure and disinformation campaigns. Since the start of the war in Ukraine, the government has also begun modernizing the country’s public shelter system.

Germany currently has 579 shelters with capacity for around 480,000 people, many of which have not been actively used since the Cold War.

(reuters, bak)