The federal cabinet in Berlin is set to pass a legislative package of more than 700 pages on Wednesday that would significantly expand the powers of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) and the Federal Intelligence Service (BND). The draft was presented by Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU). Planned measures include expanded data collection and storage, as well as the ability to actively counter threats such as sabotage or hacker attacks.
Chancellery Minister Nina Warken (CDU) told the “Rheinische Post”: “The cabinet is laying the foundation on Wednesday for the most extensive and fundamental reform of the intelligence services since their inception.” She said they are not watching idly as influence operations, sabotage, and threats against the pillars of the constitution increase. Only with more powers can the services act decisively against hybrid attacks.
The Left party rejects the reform. Ulrich Thoden, defense policy spokesman for the Left parliamentary group, spoke on the ARD and ZDF morning magazine of actionism and an expansion of intelligence powers while simultaneously reducing oversight. He pointed to the principle of separating police and intelligence services – a “bitter lesson from our history, especially from the Gestapo.”
FDP Secretary-General Martin Hagen told the German Press Agency that the plans go far too far. Germany is a liberal democracy with a functioning rule of law; especially in competition with authoritarian regimes, one must not cast doubt on that. The Society for Civil Rights (GFF) also criticized a “massive increase in power for the intelligence services” and called for a fundamental overhaul of the draft law, which it considers largely unconstitutional.
Source: www.zdfheute.de
