*no, not that one.
Berlin residents are struggling with icy pavements as freezing rain and persistent frost grip the German capital, triggering a wave of criticism over the city administration’s handling of the problems.
Under-pressure Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner on Thursday asked the city’s House of Representatives to allow the use of de-icing salt on sidewalks. While salt is permitted on major roads, its use on sidewalks is prohibited because it could damage trees, prompting some residents to buy spiked footwear to avoid slipping.
“We are currently experiencing extreme weather conditions in Berlin — with freezing rain and persistent frost,” Wegner wrote on X. “I appeal to the House of Representatives to make the use of de-icing salt in Berlin possible in exceptional cases.”
Hospitals have reported a surge in serious injuries caused by falls on icy sidewalks. A spokesperson for a Berlin trauma clinic told local tabloid B.Z. that some patients narrowly avoided permanent paralysis after slipping.
Wegner, a member of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), has come in for criticism over his handling of the situation, just weeks after he was lambasted for playing tennis on the first day of a five-day blackout that left many city residents without heating.
Former CDU chancellor candidate Armin Laschet lashed out on X: “Now even Greens … are making fun of the fact that Berlin is incapable of clearing ice from the roads. And no, it’s not some surprising weather crisis: it’s called winter.”
In the post, Laschet reshared an AI-generated image depicting airplanes dropping salt by parachute, in a parody of the Berlin Airlift.
With forecasts showing temperatures are expected to remain below freezing for another week, Tobias Schulze — head of the far-left Die Linke faction in Berlin’s parliament — took aim at the CDU and Social Democrats’ governing coalition.
“That the coalition is arguing about the use of road salt in this situation is a mockery. Instead of appealing to party members on Instagram, the governing mayor should convene an emergency summit with the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW), civil protection authorities, the city sanitation service (BSR) and the fire brigade,” Schulze told POLITICO.
On Friday afternoon, Wegner announced he had asked the transport senator to allow private individuals and city cleaning services to use de-icing salt on sidewalks. “I am aware that this path is associated with legal uncertainties. Nevertheless, I consider it necessary in this particular situation,” Wegner wrote on X.
The freezing weather conditions have disrupted Berlin for days, with public transport also restricted due to ice-covered tram wires.