Lessons from the Flood: Disaster Federalism?

Restart?

New state?

The devastating flood is also grist to the mill of those who demand a reform of our community in head and members.

One thing is clear: if the system should have failed, it must be renewed.

But even everyone who considers federalism to be organized irresponsibility must first prove to what extent the federal state has failed in the fight against the current catastrophes - and what a central state would do better.

It is also clear: you have to live federalism.

To do this, you have to understand it.

Or has it become obscure?

But then you can actually no longer speak of federalism.

After all, it is about a vertical form of separation of powers, basically about clear responsibilities, at least ideally.

It makes sense, like the principle of subsidiarity, that the local community is responsible first if a problem is not so big that it can be better solved at a higher level.

Who is responsible?

This also applies to civil protection. In principle, the federal states and the municipalities are responsible. But in the case of major accidents, not only can federal help be requested, the federal government can also take matters into its own hands and send the armed forces, for example. The fact that there is a European flood warning system, the German Weather Service and the flood control centers of the federal states does not automatically mean that the various institutions are hindering each other. The pitiable appearance of the Federal Ministry of Transport, which could not even explain the obvious question of the interaction with the European level, for which it is itself responsible, is hopefully not symptomatic.

It is crucial that the warnings arrive quickly where they need to be heard. The Federal Warning Day attempted last year ended in a debacle, which not only revealed a lack of the good old sirens, which at least wake everyone within earshot and give a clear warning of imminent danger even without further knowledge, but also of modern crisis communication . A warning by letter might have arrived faster. It's good that people are now considering sending a warning SMS to all possible recipients in the event of a disaster. This has long existed in other countries - with a precise description of the endangered area and an indication of what needs to be done.

In Germany, on the other hand, the desperate digital situation, which already cost valuable time in the first phase of the corona pandemic and brought with it unnecessary restrictions, is also visible in the flood disaster.

Of course, it should also be the case that a joint crisis team is immediately involved in a transnational situation.

Federalism does not mean assigning blame to one another, but neither does it mean that everyone boldly claims to have done everything right.

Even if that is true in and of itself, which one cannot exactly know immediately after a catastrophe, a quick self-praise in the face of numerous dead is unworthy.

The Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance has at least corrected the first full-bodied statements.

Working together effectively

The federal and state governments have already shown in a number of crises that they can basically work together effectively. One can check whether the federal government has to provide a framework not only in war (how would we actually be protected then?), But also in the event of a disaster (which is nonetheless apocalyptic for those affected). It is not only due to the victims, but also to the hundreds of thousands who volunteer to help to the point of exhaustion, that no effort is wasted and that all government agencies work together without friction losses.

Unfortunately, years ago, the great fear of a nuclear war was replaced by a certain degree of carelessness, also on the part of the state. Preparedness and crisis prevention were written in lower case, although the vulnerability of society has actually increased. Hacker attacks can generally paralyze any government agency, including the electricity and water supplies. Who actually has water supplies in the house even for a few days?

There is absolutely no reason to be overly concerned or even to become a crazy prepper who bunkers up with his supplies and weapons in the safe anticipation of a disaster. But the question of what to do in an emergency and how to prepare should be asked by everyone - ideally based on professional, state information. The world championship hoarding of toilet paper at the beginning of the corona pandemic, a non-vital commodity that never threatened to become scarce, shows that many have forgotten what is really important. A restart is actually necessary here.