Germany prepares for war: 10 billion euro master plan for civil protection

❐ International Desk

Four years after Russia invaded Ukraine, Germany is preparing for war on its own soil. The country’s interior minister has unveiled a massive plan to spend nearly 10 billion euros by 2029 to overhaul its civil protection system.

The plan includes the creation of a new central civil defense command, the addition of 110,000 additional field beds, the acquisition of nearly 1,000 specialized emergency vehicles, the introduction of civil defense training in schools, and the development of an advanced alert app capable of directing people to shelters. At the same time, coordination between the military and civilian structures will be further strengthened.

German officials admit that the country’s civil defense system has been largely neglected for decades. Many bunkers were closed in 2008, including one that has now been converted into a private art museum in the center of Berlin. The capital also lacks an effective siren system that could alert everyone in an emergency.

Analysts say that this initiative is both a response to the growing geopolitical instability, including the threat from Russia, and an attempt to fill a long-standing internal deficit. Although the plan does not directly mention Russia, experts unanimously say that reality is completely pointing in that direction.

But the plan faces a number of obstacles. Germany’s federal structure gives its 16 states wide autonomy over civil protection, which could complicate coordination and funding between the central government and the states. Opposition leaders have welcomed the plan’s ambitions but have expressed doubts that simply buying beds or creating new apps will not be of much use to ordinary people.

The Minister of Defense himself, when he was the Interior Minister of a state a few years ago, spoke of the need for 10 billion euros in investment in this sector. So experts say this step, although long overdue, was essential.

The plan is still awaiting approval. Some parts will have to be passed by parliament, while the rest will be finalized through negotiations between the center and the states. In the long term, this investment will increase Germany’s emergency response capacity, improve the capacity of shelters, and — most importantly — bring about a major change in the mindset of ordinary people, because until now most Germans do not know what to do in a real emergency.