Berlin's mayor, Kai Wegner, is under mounting pressure to resign after it emerged he played tennis hours after a major blackout caused by an arson attack left tens of thousands without power, and then misled the public about his actions. The power cut, the longest in the city since World War Two, affected around 45,000 households and more than 2,000 businesses in south-west Berlin.
Left-wing militants claimed responsibility for the attack on Saturday, which raised concerns about German preparedness for sabotage. Wegner, of the Christian Democratic Union, initially told reporters on Sunday that he had been working round the clock to mitigate the impact. However, he later confirmed a report by public broadcaster RBB that he had been on a tennis court with his partner, Berlin education minister Katharina Günther-Wünsch, between 1pm and 2pm on the day of the blackout.
On Wednesday, Wegner acknowledged his choice of words had been sub-par, saying: 'Looking back, I should have said on Sunday what I did on Saturday. Yes, at some point I said: I need a short break, I need to clear my head. And the best way for me to do that is with sport.' The far-right Alternative für Deutschland accused him of lying, while the Social Democrats' mayoral candidate deemed his actions 'unacceptable' and 'unworthy' of his office.
The scandal, dubbed 'tennis-gate', has drawn comparisons to the resignation of Spanish regional president Carlos Mazón after he had lunch during deadly floods, and the political downfall of Armin Laschet, who was seen joking during flood visits. With a regional election eight months away, Wegner's authority is increasingly questioned.
