Can a Mayor Play Tennis During a Crisis? But Yes! - Berlin mayor under fire for playing tennis during massive power outage
Berlin’s mayor, Kai Wegner, has faced sharp criticism for playing tennis during a major power outage. The blackout left around 100,000 residents without electricity in the city’s southwest on Saturday. While emergency services handled the situation, opponents accused Wegner of poor judgement for taking time off during the crisis.
The outage began early on Saturday, affecting large parts of Steglitz-Zehlendorf and neighbouring districts. Five hours later, Wegner spent an hour on a tennis court. He later explained that he had worked from his home office all day, coordinating the response by phone. He also argued that the break helped him stay focused.
Public broadcaster RBB first reported the tennis match, sparking outrage. Politicians like Werner Graf of the Greens and Steffen Krach of the SPD quickly condemned Wegner’s actions. Three parties—AfD, BSW, and the FDP—went further, calling for his resignation. Others joined in, turning the incident into a broader debate about leadership. Despite the criticism, the crisis itself was managed effectively. Backup systems functioned as planned, and vulnerable residents received prompt assistance. Power was restored a full day ahead of schedule, with no reports of serious injuries. Experts also noted that Berlin’s power grid is no less reliable than those in other German cities. The controversy has since shifted from the technical details of the outage to Wegner’s personal choices. Some argue that the focus on his tennis match distracts from the real issue—a complex infrastructure problem that few fully understand. Others see it as a chance to challenge the mayor’s leadership style.
The power outage ended without major consequences, and services returned faster than expected. Yet the political fallout continues, with Wegner’s opponents using the incident to question his priorities. The debate now centres on whether his actions during the crisis were appropriate—or simply a misstep in an otherwise well-handled situation.
