Berlin – Questions are mounting for Governing Mayor Kai Wegner after reports surfaced challenging his account of his response to a significant power outage that impacted southwest Berlin in early January. The controversy centers on discrepancies between Wegner’s public statements and a reconstruction of events by the newspaper Tagesspiegel.

Initial Claims and Subsequent Revisions

Wegner initially stated he was “at the phone all day” working from home during the crisis, which left approximately 100,000 residents without heat in freezing temperatures. He later revised this account, admitting to playing tennis with his partner during the afternoon, explaining he needed to “clear his head.” Further investigation suggests even this revised version may be inaccurate.

Questioned Communication with Officials

According to Tagesspiegel’s reporting, Wegner’s claims of communication with key entities – including the Chancellery, the federal government, Stromnetz Berlin, and the Interior Ministry – have not been substantiated. The report indicates short text message exchanges with the Interior Senator Iris Spranger and contact with Economics Senator Franziska Giffey, who had previously been unable to reach him.

“And yes, then I played tennis from 1 to 2 p.m. Because I simply needed to clear my head.”

Kai Wegner, via Welt TV

Political Implications

The unfolding situation comes at a potentially sensitive time for Wegner, who has been serving as Governing Mayor of Berlin since April 2023. Recent polls indicate a decline in support for his party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which received 22 percent in the latest INSA survey, down from 28.2 percent in 2023.

Kai Wegner has held multiple positions in German politics, including serving as a member of the Bundestag from 2017 to 2021 and as Leader of the Christian Democratic Union in Berlin since 2019. He was born on September 15, 1972, and served in the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) from 1993-1994.