Germany's parliament has approved a significant expansion of powers for its intelligence services, aiming to counter espionage, terrorism, and sabotage. The Bundestag voted 309 to 190, with 71 abstentions, to pass the reform, which Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt hails as a "reform of the century."
New Powers for BND and BfV
The legislation grants the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) and the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) unprecedented authority. For the first time, BND agents will be able to conduct covert operations abroad, including sabotage. This could involve disabling servers used by state-sponsored hackers, disrupting disinformation networks, or interfering with weapons supply chains.
The BfV, responsible for domestic intelligence, will no longer be limited to information gathering. Agents will be empowered to take protective measures against property and IT systems when specific threats are identified. This includes dismantling explosives, blocking data flows during cyber-attacks, deleting or falsifying malicious data, and planting false information. Under strict conditions, BfV agents may also enter homes covertly with prior authorization.
Furthermore, both agencies will have expanded digital surveillance capabilities, such as monitoring encrypted communications, conducting online searches, and using AI-supported data analysis and biometric image matching.
Rationale and Controversy
The government argues that the reforms are necessary due to increasing foreign espionage, particularly from Russia, China, and Iran. "We are the target of hybrid threats," Dobrindt stated. "Germany is a theatre of operations for terrorism, extremism, and foreign powers." He cited an August incident where a drone carrying an explosive device was found at Leipzig Airport near Ukrainian cargo planes, which failed to detonate due to a faulty detonator. German authorities attribute the attack to Russia.
However, the law has faced sharp criticism from opposition politicians. Clara Bünger, security spokeswoman for the Left Party, accused Dobrindt of creating a new secret police. She told public broadcaster ARD that the law was "a monster… summoning ghosts that we will probably never be able to get rid of." She warned that the separation between police and intelligence services, a lesson from the Nazi era, is being eroded. "This means the secret service is being granted executive powers and will not only be allowed to act pre-emptively, but will also be granted police powers," she said.
Dobrindt dismissed such concerns as "madness," insisting the law does not create a secret police. Sonja Eichwede of the centre-left SPD, part of the governing coalition, defended the reforms, saying they would make a significant contribution to ensuring Germany's democracy remains "robust and resilient."
The passage of this law marks a turning point for German intelligence, which has historically focused on information gathering rather than action, reflecting the country's post-war caution. As hybrid threats evolve, Germany is now equipping its spies with tools to actively defend the nation.
