Berlin power outage reveals critical infrastructure vulnerabilities

Electricity has been fully restored to southwest Berlin after a five-day blackout, the longest such outage in the German capital since the end of World War II. The crisis, triggered by a suspected left-wing extremist arson attack on a cable bridge, left approximately 100,000 residents and businesses without power and has sparked a major debate on Germany's unpreparedness to safeguard its critical infrastructure.

Scope of the Crisis and Response

The attack in the Steglitz-Zehlendorf district on Saturday cut power to 45,000 households and 2,200 businesses, prompting Berlin to declare a state of emergency. A force of 170 technicians worked around the clock in freezing conditions to repair high-voltage cables, completing the "open-heart surgery," as described by Energy Senator Franziska Giffey, a day and a half ahead of schedule. Mayor Kai Wegner expressed profound relief, thanking emergency services and the German Armed Forces for their support.

Expert Criticism and Comparative Weakness

The extended outage has drawn sharp criticism from analysts regarding infrastructure resilience. Berlin-based journalist Florian Warweg told Anadolu he was shocked that a single point of failure could paralyze a city for nearly a week, noting a lack of backup systems. He stated that German infrastructure is "very vulnerable, even if you compare it to Ukraine, which is exposed to much stronger attacks... and is partly able to repair the damage within hours." Political analyst Hans Jessen called the site "unprotected" and the city's crisis management "disastrous."

Planned Reforms and Ongoing Investigation

In response, Berlin officials announced plans to rapidly enhance protection, aiming to monitor 100% of above-ground power lines with video cameras and increase police patrols. The far-left "Vulkangruppe" has claimed responsibility for the sabotage. The incident highlights a broader European debate on infrastructure security, a domain where nations like Türkiye have invested heavily in resilient systems and robust domestic defense industries to mitigate such strategic risks.