Ralph Tiesler, 64, is a lawyer and has been President of the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance since 2022.
WELT: Mr. Tiesler, the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance was founded 20 years ago as a result of the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and the Elbe floods. What is currently the greatest danger for Germany?
Ralph Tiesler: In fact, the greatest dangers at the time were terrorist situations and climate change. Today we are also faced with the challenge that global security has changed considerably following Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and that, in addition to preparing for extreme weather conditions, we must pay particular attention to civil protection and civil defense.
WELT: Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) believes that Russia will be able to attack NATO territory in five to eight years. Is Germany prepared for this scenario?
Tiesler: We have accepted this challenge. We must not only become capable of war, but also of civil defense. That means we must push ahead with and complete all the measures that we have already started in recent years. We need a turning point in civil protection in order to be prepared for a possible alliance. We must now step on the gas over the next five years.
WELT: What measures do you mean specifically?
Tiesler: These include, for example, the additional equipment for the federal government; we have not yet delivered many technically highly specialized vehicles to the states. Then there is the rapid warning of the population in dangerous situations. We have made impressive technological progress in this area in recent years, but we have not quite reached our goal yet. Self-protection and the population’s ability to help themselves also play an important role. These are all issues where we need to improve significantly in the next five years.
WELT: The German army is working behind the scenes on a secret, thousand-page document for the defense of the country, called Operational Plan Germany. What exactly is it supposed to be about?
Tiesler: It’s about effective overall defense: from homeland security to the protection of infrastructure important to defense and national territorial defense. To achieve this, military defense must work hand in hand with civilian defense. Germany is no longer a frontline state as it once was, but is surrounded by NATO countries. This means that at its core, it’s not so much about national defense, but primarily about alliance defense. Conversely, however, this means that we would be a hub for possible troop movements from west to east.
Our task in the civilian sector would then be, for example, to accommodate troops along the transport route and to provide medical care to the wounded. The operational plan also includes traffic management and a number of individual issues that are currently being discussed intensively.
WELT: Are hospitals prepared to care for large numbers of war wounded?
Tiesler: We are already taking in wounded and seriously ill people from Ukraine as part of the so-called cloverleaf mechanism. That is why we know what a huge challenge this is. But I am sure that we will have to create additional capacity in the hospitals in the coming years.
WELT: Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) is working on a hospital reform that will ultimately reduce capacities. How does that fit together?
Tiesler: I can assure you that the actors there have the issue on their radar.
WELT: The budget of the Federal Ministry of the Interior, to which your agency reports, is to be cut next year. Is civil protection and disaster control at risk of being hit hard?
Tiesler: The negotiations are not yet complete. However, Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser (SPD) has made it clear that civil protection must be further strengthened. Security policy must be a priority. Five years is not much time, and none of it can be wasted.
WELT: Is a special fund also needed for civil protection and disaster protection?
Tiesler: In any case, we need significantly more money to be able to meet the challenges of the coming years.
WELT: Do you have the impression that the public’s awareness of the need to prepare for crisis situations, even in their private lives, has increased?
Tiesler: Absolutely, the public’s awareness of crisis situations has increased significantly. When we set up stands at the Civil Protection Days, many people come by and seek advice. We also see that our emergency guide is being consulted much more frequently. In the past, many people accused us of advising people to panic buy. These voices have almost died down.
WELT: What stockpiling do you currently recommend?
Tiesler: In our guide, we recommend that you stock up enough to get by for up to ten days. I know that’s not possible everywhere, but it helps if you have water and food for at least two or three days. A battery-operated radio and a flashlight are also useful. Any help that you organize yourself relieves the burden on state aid workers. It also makes society more stable overall when people experience self-efficacy through their contribution.
WELT: Another topic: Since the weekend, parts of southern Germany have been affected by severe flooding, and previously the Saarland. How well are the states’ flood protection systems working?
Tiesler: Floods pose particular challenges for emergency services. It is still too early for a final assessment and each case must be considered individually. However, the most recent flood events at the turn of the year 2023/2024 in northern Germany and in May in Saarland show that the disaster control mechanisms are working overall.
WELT: Do we have to prepare ourselves for having to spend record amounts of money due to extreme weather events in the coming decades?
Tiesler: Climate change and the resulting extreme weather events will concern us even more in the future. As with everything, prevention costs money. In my opinion, however, we should invest it in good prevention rather than having to raise large sums to pay for damages afterwards.