Power Outage in Spain and Portugal: Faeser Pushes for Robust Infrastructure Safety in Germany
Power failures hit Spain and Portugal: Faeser advocates for enhanced security in Germany (alternatively: Power failures in Spain and Portugal prompt Faeser's call for improved security in Germany) - Power outages in Spain and Portugal: Call for strengthened defenses in Germany
In spite of Germany not experiencing a power disruption due to the recent incident on the Iberian Peninsula, Federal Minister of the Interior, Nancy Faeser, emphasizes the importance of learning from such occurrences to enhance the security of critical infrastructures, like energy supply, within Germany.
Faeser insists the incoming administration promptly pass the legislation proposed by the traffic light coalition. This legislation aims to set binding security standards for all sectors, including energy, water supply, telecommunications, and transport, for the first time. Regrettably, the bill didn't receive parliamentary approval due to the coalition's collapse.
On Monday afternoon, a power outage affected the entire Spain and Portugal. Traffic issues ensued, and telecommunications systems malfunctioned, among other disruptions. Southwest France and Morocco were temporarily affected as well. The reasons behind the significant outage are still under investigation, with the Spanish grid operator REE and the Portuguese government ruling out a cyberattack as the culprit.
President of the Federal Network Agency, Klaus Müller, expresses that such an occurrence in Germany is unlikely due to the nation's redundant power system. "Our power system in Germany is extremely resilient. In the event one line fails, another line or system steps in to prevent such disruptions," Müller stated during an interview with WDR radio.
In light of recent policy developments and coalition agreements, Germany is moving towards enacting binding security standards and reforms for critical infrastructures, including energy and transportation networks. The 2023 National Security Strategy highlights the need to integrate supply chain stability, technological sovereignty, and infrastructure hardening into binding norms. Additionally, the 2025 coalition agreement proposes legal reforms to protect cybersecurity researchers, strengthen infrastructure protections, and combat disinformation. While the sources don't explicitly mention "binding standards," the CER Directive's implementation and the Bundeswehr's operational directives suggest a base for enforceable measures across energy suppliers and other critical sectors.
- Given the recent power outage in Spain and Portugal, Federal Minister of the Interior, Nancy Faeser, underscores the need for Germany to learn from such incidents to strengthen the safety of its own critical infrastructures, particularly the energy supply.
- Faeser underscores the importance of the incoming administration promptly passing the legislation proposed by the traffic light coalition, which aims to establish binding security standards for sectors such as energy, water supply, telecommunications, and transport.
- The power outage in Spain and Portugal, which affected traffic and telecommunications systems, is under investigation, with the grid operators and governments ruling out a cyberattack as the cause.
- President of the Federal Network Agency, Klaus Müller, asserts that such an outage in Germany is unlikely due to the country's redundant power system, which is designed to prevent disruptions even if one line fails.
