08.01.2026 00:24
During the longest power outage since World War II, which affected 100,000 people in Berlin, it was revealed that Mayor Kai Wegner was playing tennis. Wegner defended himself by saying, "I played tennis to clear my mind, my phone was next to me." In a press conference he held on January 4, he stated that on the first day of the outage, he was coordinating the crisis on the phone all day with the doors closed at his home and office.
The energy crisis following the sabotage attack on the Lichterfelde Power Plant in Berlin, the capital of Germany, has turned into a political scandal. As the city succumbed to darkness and cold in the middle of winter, it was revealed that Mayor Kai Wegner was on the tennis court during the first hours of the crisis.
"I WAS CLEARING MY HEAD" DEFENSE INCREASED ANGER
According to information revealed by public broadcaster RBB, Wegner played tennis between 1:00 PM and 2:00 PM on January 3, the day when 50,000 households were left without electricity. After the incident came to light, Wegner confirmed he was on the court in a statement to Welt TV, defending himself by saying, "I played tennis to clear my head, my phone was by my side." However, this statement did not quell the anger of Berliners who had been waiting for days without heating in their homes.
CAUGHT IN HIS OWN WORDS: HE SAID HE HAD LOCKED HIMSELF IN THE OFFICE
The most controversial part of the scandal was Wegner's previous statements. On January 4, the Mayor appeared before cameras and claimed that on the first day of the outage, he had locked himself in his home and office, coordinating the crisis on the phone all day with the doors closed. With the emergence of the tennis footage, it was confirmed that Wegner had lied to the public.
STRONG REACTION FROM THE OPPOSITION
Social Democratic Party (SPD) state prime minister candidate Steffen Krach reacted very strongly to the situation. Krach stated, "Is it worse that he lied to the Berliners, or that instead of being with the people during the worst energy crisis in decades, he played tennis? I can't decide," he expressed.
AN ELDERLY WOMAN FOUND DEAD
The humanitarian aspect of the crisis deepened today with the sad news that came in. Deputy Chief of Police Marco Langner announced that an 83-year-old woman in need of care was found dead in her home in the affected area. An autopsy was decided to determine whether the elderly woman's death was due to a fall related to the cold or her general health condition.
ELECTRICITY RESTORED AFTER 5 DAYS
Stromnetz Berlin announced that by the end of the fifth day after the sabotage, electricity was restored to the entire city today. While Berliners experienced one of the most severe hardships since World War II, Wegner's attitude in crisis management seems likely to be a topic of discussion in Berlin politics for a long time.