Investigations against District Administrator: The country needs good people

One might argue about a special representative for dealing with the flood disaster. On the one hand, the accident is almost unprecedented, and there is reason to think that this demand also comes from the local political arena. On the other hand, dealing with crisis situations that cross national borders and in which good federal coordination is essential is not so exceptional. Special staffs and civil servants with special tasks for complex events belong to the state - regardless of their label. The main thing is that the citizens in need are helped quickly and reliably, and the affected areas will soon be filled with life again.

On the other hand, no agent and no commission can relieve those responsible of their burden.

This can also be spread over several levels and shoulders.

In any case, it decreases with distance from the location of the catastrophe, watered down, as it were.

And it is easy to fly in from the capital cities, to quickly check that everything is going well and to declare that everything has been done and will continue to do so.

A lot is being done on site

If everything goes well, there is usually no talk of a district administrator.

But he is responsible - and has to turn his head.

After careful examination, the Koblenz public prosecutor's office has now decided to investigate the initial suspicion of negligent homicide because the Ahr may not have been warned and evacuated in a manner that would have been necessary.

It is quite possible that this procedure, regardless of its outcome and unlike in a political committee of inquiry, not only allows a precise reconstruction of what has happened, but also gives rise to new thinking about the function of the district administrator and protection on site. It should become clear how responsible the office of the local crisis manager is, who can quickly be in the focus of the whole country. However, its legitimate liability should not act as a deterrent. The country needs good people, especially in the local community, not just in Brussels or Berlin parliamentary chairs.