After the attack on the Tesla factory’s power supply, politicians suspected the perpetrators were on the left-wing extremist spectrum. Interior Minister Faeser announced tough action. Production is likely to be at a standstill for longer than initially expected.
After the suspected arson attack on the power supply near the Tesla factory in Grünheide, Brandenburg, Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser warned of a danger posed by the violent left-wing extremist scene. “If a left-wing extremist motive is confirmed, then that is further evidence that left-wing extremists do not shy away from serious interventions in our energy infrastructure,” Faeser told the Rheinische Post.
The security authorities therefore acted “decisively”. “Overall, the potential threat posed by left-wing extremism remains high,” said Faeser. “The radicalization in parts of the violent scene that has increased in recent years has remained at a high level.” The personal potential of violent autonomous groups has also continued to grow recently. The alleged attack near Grünheide shows “enormous criminal energy” and “nothing can justify it.”
Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck also condemned the attack. He spoke of a crime that needed to be solved. It was “wrong in every way and not acceptable in any way.” But the political debate in Germany must not slide, said Habeck. “I have the feeling that we have now reached a point, and it cannot be set in the wrong direction.”
Production will probably come to a standstill next week
According to the police, unknown persons set fire to a high-voltage pylon in the Oder-Spree district on Tuesday, resulting in a power outage in numerous towns and in the nearby Tesla factory in Grünheide.
Police: Letter of confession on internet platform is real
After the alleged attack, a letter of responsibility from the organization “Vulkangruppe” appeared on the left-wing extremist Internet platform Indymedia. The police classified the letter as genuine. “We consider the letter to be genuine, authentic,” said a police spokeswoman. However, investigators are not yet talking about an attack. “We’re still talking about intentional arson.”
The “Vulkan Group” said in its letter that it had sabotaged Tesla. The group accuses the company of “extreme conditions of exploitation”.
Brandenburg’s Interior Minister Michael Stübgen called the suspected arson attack “ecoterrorism.” The constitutional state will react “with severity,” he told the Bild newspaper. “There is no quarter when it comes to terrorism, and that also applies to eco-terrorism.” As a result of the act, “thousands of people were deliberately cut off from basic services”.
DIHK calls for better protection of critical infrastructure
According to the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the attack on the Tesla factory’s power supply shows that physical security and the security of data and information can no longer be separated. “Politics and business are jointly required to ensure the security of networks and critical systems,” said DIHK Managing Director Martin Wansleben.
The federal government must finally push forward legal regulations on this. With regard to critical infrastructure, the so-called Kritis umbrella law is going in the right direction, said Wansleben. The aim is to improve the level of protection for operators of critical systems and to support their own security efforts. “The measures should therefore be viewed in the context of the regulations for cyber protection of critical infrastructures,” said the DIHK general manager. However, the federal government has been delaying the adoption of the relevant law for months.
VW produces electricity on factory premises
Individual companies have taken precautions a long time ago to ensure operations continue. Volkswagen, for example, sees itself on the safe side when it comes to the power supply for its main plant in Wolfsburg. VW produces the electricity for the plant itself; the power plant is located directly on the factory premises and also supplies the surrounding city with electricity and district heating. A spokesman said that this would ensure the supply of energy to the plant.