Internal communications within Berlin’s Green Party reveal that party leaders instructed their deputies not to publicly emphasize the far-left extremist background of a recent arson attack on Berlin’s power grid that left tens of thousands without electricity. According to a report by Bild, the group leadership sent an email to Green deputies directing them
DO NOT focus on perpetrators/investigations.
The email specifically advised against discussing the so-called “Volcano Group,” which authorities suspect carried out the attack. Instead, the party urged deputies to place attention on incumbent Mayor Kai Wegner’s handling of the crisis. The directive emphasized that criticism should be directed primarily at Wegner and the CDU, “NOT SPD Giffey/Spranger”.
The power outage, which occurred in southwest Berlin on January 3rd 2026, affected roughly 45,000 households and 2,200 businesses. Many residents were forced to temporarily move to emergency shelters during freezing winter conditions. The incident came amid a broader increase in left-wing extremist activity across Germany. Federal authorities reported 931 left-wing motivated violent crimes in the year up to November 30, 2025, a 45% rise from the previous year.
In response to this surge, Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt announced new measures to combat left-wing extremism, including additional personnel for intelligence services, expanded digital surveillance capabilities, and reforms to the Kritis Umbrella Act, which requires critical infrastructure operators to strengthen safety and prevent sabotage.
