Berlin’s ruling mayor Kai Wegner is below drive for his movements within the longest blackout in Berlin’s post-war historical past. A CDU flesh presser admitted to enjoying tennis in southwest Berlin on Saturday hours after the blackout started – whilst the 100,000 other people with out electrical energy, heating, web and cellphones in the midst of iciness have been very fearful, emergency shelters have been temporarily installed position and assist arrived.
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Berlin: Mayor of Berlin performed tennis all over blackout Cable assault: Energy again on in southwest Berlin Energy outage: A number of supermarkets reopen after Berlin blackout
“I played tennis from 1 to 2 p.m. because I just wanted to clear my head,” Wegner mentioned on Welt TV. “I was available all the time, even when I was playing tennis. The mobile phone was switched off, I immediately came back and continued to work. RBB has reported on this topic before.”
Grievance of Wegner’s disaster control
The ability outage brought about via an arson assault via left-wing extremists was once resolved on Wednesday afternoon and the availability was once totally restored. Quickly after, Wegner’s confession brought about a typhoon of indignation. AfD and FDP politicians referred to as for his resignation. 8 months ahead of the September 20 Berlin Space of Representatives elections, the Left and the Vegetables have additionally come below heavy assault on Wegner, as has front-runner Steffen Krach of coalition spouse SPD. Their tenor: Wegner failed the folk affected, failed to satisfy his position as head of presidency and lied to the general public about his actions at the first day of the mega blackout.
Wegner has already been criticized for his dealing with of the disaster. Representatives of different events, in addition to commentators within the Berlin media, blamed the 53-year-old for now not being provide within the districts suffering from the blackout on Saturday, however simplest on Sunday. One of the most causes he justified this was once that he didn’t give you the chance to make a telephone name to arrange assist within the disaster space – there was once no web or cell phone reception there.
Wegner on Sunday: “He was on the phone all day”
On Sunday, after visiting the emergency safe haven, Wegner replied a full of life journalist’s query: “Yesterday I wasn’t bored and I didn’t get up, but I was on the phone all day, trying to coordinate and get the best information possible because I think that helps people even more. The CDU politician continued that he was at home on Saturday and locked himself in his office.”
He has now admitted to the clumsy behaviour. “Looking back, I should have said on Sunday what I did on Saturday, but I’ll tell you quite frankly: my focus was 45,000 households,” Wegner informed RBB.
100,000 other people suffering from energy outages
45,000 families and a pair of,200 companies have been left with out energy in southwest Berlin on Saturday morning after an arson assault on a cable bridge within the district of Steglitz-Zellendorf, claimed via a left-wing extremist staff. In general, about 100,000 other people have been affected. Over the last few days, some customers have regularly been reconnected. At the 5th day, state grid operator Stromnetz Berlin was once in any case ready to revive electrical energy to all the ones affected.
After Wegner’s remarks in regards to the tennis fit, a Senate spokeswoman mentioned the top minister first of all referred to as in a while after 8 a.m. Saturday to be notified of the facility outage, together with the Workplace of the Internal and quite a lot of Senate administrations. The function was once to arrange assist – as Wegner himself defined in contemporary days. He and the ones round him additionally emphasised that with out his efforts, assist from the government, as an example the Bundeswehr, should not have arrived so temporarily.
Marketing campaign ammunition for political combatants
Within the upcoming election marketing campaign for the Berlin elections in September, which could also be now not insignificant national, Wegner’s movements now supply a transparent template for the political contest. The 53-year-old almost definitely overlooked the risk to provide himself as a formidable disaster supervisor with symbolic photographs, like Chancellor Gerhard Schröder (SPD) all over the 2002 Elbe floods.
“Kai Wegner probably didn’t play tennis in a locked study at home,” mentioned SPD flesh presser Krach. The principle candidate of the Inexperienced Birthday party, Werner Graf, who desires to transport into the Purple Town Corridor himself, mentioned that Berliners have “different demands” at the ruling mayor. Each have have shyed away from calls to surrender – they’re regarded as doable coalition companions of the CDU after the following election.
AfD requires resignation
Left-wing nation chief Maximilian Schirmer defined: “Anyone who would rather play tennis than be with the people who need it most should perhaps consider whether this job is still right for them. AfD state and parliamentary group leader Christine Brinker called for Wegner’s immediate resignation. He has not taken the electricity crisis seriously enough.”
When requested if he desires to surrender from RBB within the night, Wegner didn’t resolution sure or no. “I can’t stop the opposition from saying that now,” he mentioned.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:260107-930-511201/3
