When representatives of the Berlin red-green-red Senate were still pondering a request for administrative assistance to the Bundeswehr on Thursday, there was already a refusal internally in the followingnoon. During an internal video conference with representatives of several Senate administrations and aid organizations, a representative of the Bundeswehr’s Berlin State Command has already sent a stop signal.
As several participants at the conference reported to the Tagesspiegel, Lieutenant Colonel Sven Brozeit has clearly refused Berlin’s request to send soldiers to help war refugees from Ukraine. Accordingly, retains
Federal Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) makes a decision on a case-by-case basis for requests for administrative assistance. However, no requests from the federal states would be confirmed at the moment.
The cancellation is justified with the current situation, for example with the strengthening of the NATO Response Force. In the meantime, employees of Senate administrations openly admit that the consequences of the Putin war in Ukraine were initially underestimated. “We are behind the situation and cannot get ahead of the situation,” a high-ranking official told the Tagesspiegel.
However, the Senate is still reluctant to declare an emergency. According to participants at the conference, a representative of a district office said: “Berlin would drop its pants if we got the Bundeswehr without even beginning to use the available resources of the state of Berlin.” The resources are also available in Berlin, they have to only to be organized.
Interior administration does not want to declare any major damage so far
The reason for the criticism from districts as well as from the higher level of social administration is the refusal of the interior administration, led by Iris Spranger (SPD), to declare a so-called major accident or disaster. This might allow housing for refugees to be confiscated via civil protection. In addition, employees and companies might be more easily used as helpers.
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Employers would be obliged to release volunteers, for example from the German Red Cross and the Federal Agency for Technical Relief. Clear leadership structures would be deployed right into the districts. staff off
the administrations might be turned over more easily directly for the refugee aid. Necessary materials, such as tents, beds and mobile toilets, might be obtained more easily – despite the spending restrictions due to the current provisional budget.
The numerous volunteer helpers might also be better recorded and coordinated by the state. At the same time, the pressure on other federal states to take in war refugees from the Berlin hub would increase.
Giffey doesn’t want to declare a disaster just yet
Berlin’s Governing Mayor Franziska Giffey (SPD) had already told the Tagesspiegel on Thursday that she did not want to declare a disaster in Berlin – which is called a major disaster in technical jargon. “We are not yet at the point of a disaster. If we succeed in distributing the refugees in federal solidarity and with the support of the federal government, we will not need this instrument,” said Giffey.
Internally, there are other speculations as to why the Senate Chancellery of the Governing Mayor and the Interior Administration are refusing to declare the major accident. In other Senate administrations and in district offices it was said that
then the interior administration would have to take over the leadership – and thus interior senator Iris Spranger (SPD) would be politically responsible.
District offices have long been demanding that a disaster be declared
At the working level, Senate administrations and district offices have long been calling for a disaster or major accident to be declared. So far, there has been no clear leadership. Although the occupancy of gymnasiums is to be avoided for the time being, the districts have long been asked whether they can comply with the regulation of providing one bed per thousand inhabitants.
Beds were set up in the first hall of Messe Berlin on Friday night. It is planned that further halls will be prepared for refugees in the next few days. The old Tegel Airport might follow at the weekend, according to Senate circles. Internal calculations by the Senate now assume that a mid-single-digit million number of war refugees might come to Germany.
