Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has moved from words to action on a major upgrade of Germany’s civil defense and emergency management. The government is due to decide on a package at its next cabinet meeting that would set aside €10 billion to be spent by 2029 to strengthen preparedness across the country.
Key elements of the plan include procuring around 1,000 specialized vehicles and investing in personnel and technology for the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW). About one third of the funds are earmarked to modernize THW buildings. The THW currently operates with roughly €500 million in annual funding, about 2,200 paid staff and some 88,000 volunteers. It is not yet clear whether other relief organizations, such as the Red Cross, will receive portions of the new funding.
The package also envisages expanding the existing Medical Task Force and preparing more than 50 locations nationwide to respond to sudden mass-casualty events. The basic concept for such a system has existed for years but will now be further developed and resourced.
The push for stronger civil protection comes amid concerns about rising hybrid threats, including those attributed to Russia since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and following high-profile failures in domestic crisis response. The Ahr Valley floods in July 2021, which killed more than 180 people across two states, exposed gaps in early warning and local preparedness that contributed to the renewed focus.
Infrastructure shortfalls are substantial. Municipalities and national authorities have repeatedly flagged the need for investment in shelters and crisis facilities. The German Association of Towns and Municipalities (DStGB) — representing some 14,000 local authorities — warned in 2024 that €10 billion would be needed simply to refurbish roughly 600 existing, but dilapidated, bunkers. Those bunkers currently provide space for only about 478,000 people, roughly 0.56% of Germany’s population of 84 million, according to the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK).
The federal government is already encouraging households to prepare. The BBK guidebook Planning ahead for crises and disasters recommends that households aim to be self-sufficient for up to 10 days, stocking water, food, medical supplies and hygiene items. The brochure is available in German and the eight other most widely spoken languages in Germany: Arabic, English, French, Polish, Russian, Spanish, Turkish and Ukrainian.
Dobrindt has also proposed bringing topics of war and crisis management into schools, suggesting an annual, extended lesson for older pupils on plausible threat scenarios and individual preparedness — a proposal backed by the German Teachers’ Association. He has said he wants civil defense more closely linked with military defense and plans to create a new staff unit to improve coordination between civilian and military responses.
The plans have not gone unchallenged. The Left Party welcomed stronger, practical protection for people against heatwaves, floods, fires and storms but criticized the ministry’s emphasis on security and defense-oriented scenarios. Jan Köstering, the Left Party spokesperson for civil defense and emergency management, argued the reforms should focus squarely on building a modern, balanced civil protection system that prioritizes everyday disaster risks as well as conflict-related threats.
The government decision will mark a significant investment in Germany’s crisis readiness and ignite debate about priorities, implementation and how best to share funds among federal agencies, local authorities and voluntary relief organizations.