Berlin The domestic policy spokesman for the SPD parliamentary group, Sebastian Hartmann, warns the Foreign Office headed by department head Annalena Baerbock (Greens) that the national security strategy will fail if the federal states are not adequately involved in the development.
The Federal Foreign Office must now “urgently take countermeasures,” writes Hartmann on Twitter, referring to a decision by the Prime Ministers’ Conference (MPK) on Thursday. The federal states are calling for a greater say in the strategy – especially with a view to their responsibilities for warning structures and alarm planning.
Hartmann speaks of a “heavy lesson” from the federal states for Foreign Minister Baerbock. It is “high time” to correct the process. “We must not allow the draft strategy to fail.”
The FDP domestic politician Manuel Höferlin also called for “binding cooperation” between the federal and state governments in civil protection when designing the security strategy. Baerbock had to make “significant” improvements. “Otherwise there is a risk that this important strategy will fail due to their negligence, because the federal states have not been adequately involved,” said Höferlin. The Greens rejected the criticism.
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The promise to draft a national security strategy for the first time in the history of the republic is in the coalition agreement between the SPD, FDP and Greens. However, the agreed goal of presenting the basic paper this year will not be met. The security strategy is to be presented at the Munich Security Conference in February next year. The Federal Foreign Office is in charge of the development.
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In their MPK decision, the heads of government of the federal states had stated that they had asked the federal government several times to involve them closely in the development process of the security strategy on the subject of civil protection due to their responsibilities and immediate concern. However, such an integration has not yet taken place “despite other commitments by the federal government”.
Apparently, the federal government only wants to involve the states at the end of this process, the heads of the states suspect, according to their own statements. This “in no way does justice to the responsibilities, tasks and functions of the countries in the national security structure”.
The first parliamentary director of the Greens parliamentary group, Irene Mihalic, spoke out clearly against the criticism of Baerbock. Even if the dialogue with the federal states is still to come, there has already been an exchange with the federal states, Mihalic told the Handelsblatt. In particular, the “tonality” in Hartmann’s statements was therefore inappropriate.
“It seems to me that he wants to address his dissatisfaction with the interior minister’s security policy to someone who doesn’t have his party membership,” Mihalic said. Because when it comes to civil protection, the SPD-led Federal Ministry of the Interior is in charge. There, however, no progress has yet been made on the issue of strengthening the role of the federal government in dialogue with the federal states. “But that would be an important concrete contribution to creating more security for Germany.”
Baerbock outlines three “essential points” for the security strategy
The Federal Foreign Office is dependent on the input of other departments of the Federal Government (defence, economy, interior) for the strategy, which should make contributions.
In the spring, shortly after the beginning of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, which violated international law, Baerbock outlined three “essential points” for the security strategy in a keynote speech: “The security of the inviolability of our lives, first and foremost against violence and war”; “The security of our freedom, the resilience of our democracy”; “The security of our livelihoods, the protection of our environment and resources.”
At the time, Baerbock announced that he would proceed “prudently and pragmatically”. “Not with black and white categories, but with the courage to weigh things up and the courage to confront them. And with a clear value compass in hand,” said the minister.
The security strategy should be developed in a joint process. Accordingly, the Bundestag as well as national and international partners should also be involved. This should also mean the individual federal states.
There is a simple reason why they are insisting on having a greater say: the war in Ukraine has also raised numerous questions about civil protection, i.e. the tasks and measures in civil protection and disaster control.
Disaster control includes averting danger in appropriate situations. The interior ministries of the federal states are responsible as the highest civil protection authorities. The rural districts and urban districts are the lower civil protection authorities with their specialist offices.
This also means, for example, that cities and municipalities are responsible for deciding whether sirens should be provided, operated and regularly maintained.
Civil protection, on the other hand, is the responsibility of the federal government. The aim here is to protect the population from war-related dangers.
CDU politician Kiesewetter: “Don’t let the countries down in disaster and civil protection”
The traffic light coalition aims to strengthen cooperation between the federal and state governments. The Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) is to play a greater role in this in the future. The coalition agreement states that the BBK should be further developed into a central office, taking into account the federal distribution of competences, and that personnel and material be set up accordingly.
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The FDP domestic politician Höferlin considers it essential for effective civil protection that the federal and state governments work hand in hand. CDU security politician Roderich Kiesewetter also sees it that way. “A national security strategy that takes a holistic view of security, i.e. also our national resilience and questions of civil defense, the protection of critical infrastructure and civil protection and disaster control, must involve the federal states,” he said.
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