Bundestag: Geheimdienste erhalten mehr Befugnisse im Inland und Ausland

The German intelligence agencies will receive enhanced domestic and foreign capabilities to counter espionage, terrorism, and sabotage, according to a reform approved by the Bundestag. A decisive vote saw 309 MPs vote in favor, 190 against, and 71 abstentions. The Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND) and Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz (BfV) will gain new tools in areas such as telecommunications surveillance and biometric data comparison.

The BfV will no longer be limited to collecting information and monitoring individuals, but can, under certain conditions, secretly enter homes and take action against explosives or weapons. Investigations or open searches will still remain the police's responsibility. The BND, responsible for overseas intelligence gathering, will also be granted operational intervention powers, such as crippling servers of state hacker groups overseas.

A panel of former judges and judges will review the legality of certain measures beforehand. The reforms, spurred by a perceived heightened threat from foreign intelligence agencies – primarily Russia, China, and Iran – aim to reduce dependence on information provided by friendly state intelligence services. The opposition accuses the government of blurring the line between the police and intelligence services.

However, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt defended the "century-long reform," emphasizing that Germany is a target for hybrid threats, including terrorism, extremism, and foreign machinations. He stated that the intelligence services would now be genuine. Claims that the reform will create a new "secret police" are dismissed as insanity and historical nonsense. The reform seeks to protect democracy.