German lawmakers have warned that sweeping new powers for intelligence agencies would undermine fundamental rights<\/p>\n
Germany\u2019s opposition lawmakers have accused Chancellor Friedrich Merz\u2019s government of seeking to create a \u201csecret police\u201d by dramatically expanding the powers of the country\u2019s intelligence agencies.
\nThe accusations came during the first parliamentary debate on the reform on Thursday, with lawmakers from the Alternative for Germany (AfD), the Left and the Greens raising concerns over surveillance and fundamental rights. The government argues that the changes are needed to counter growing security threats.
\nUnder a reform approved by the cabinet last month, the BND foreign intelligence agency and the BfV domestic security service would gain broader operational powers, allowing them to move beyond primarily gathering and analyzing information.
\nAmong the proposed changes, the BND could sabotage foreign companies, penetrate foreign IT systems and disable weapons deemed a threat to Germany. The BfV, meanwhile, could secretly enter homes and access computers and mobile phones under certain circumstances.<\/p>\n
Read more<\/p>\n
German opposition slams spy agency \u2018revolution\u2019<\/p>\n
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the reform would usher in a \u201cnew era\u201d by turning the country\u2019s intelligence services into \u201cgenuine intelligence agencies\u201d capable of actively countering threats. He said Germany must bring its services to the level of its European partners.
\nAfD MP Gottfried Curio branded the proposed overhaul of the BfV \u201cStasi 2.0,\u201d referring to East Germany\u2019s notorious secret police, and called the reform a \u201ccoup against the rule of law.\u201d The AfD, however, supports granting the BND greater operational powers.
\nThe BfV has itself been locked in a legal battle with the AfD. In 2025, the agency designated Germany\u2019s most popular party a \u201cconfirmed right-wing extremist\u201d organization, but a Cologne court in February barred it from applying that classification while the case proceeds.
\nThe ruling came months before the AfD scored major gains in regional elections. It won 43.8% in Saxony-Anhalt earlier this month and 38.3% in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Read more<\/p>\n
Merz\u2019s party hits new low in regional election \u2018disaster\u2019<\/p>\n
Green MP Konstantin von Notz said granting the BfV such extensive powers would be a \u201cgrave mistake\u201d and questioned whether parts of the reform would survive scrutiny by the Constitutional Court. He nevertheless backed giving the BND greater powers.
\nLeft Party MP Clara Buenger went further, warning that the BfV could become a \u201cnew German secret police.\u201d
\n\u201cFundamental rights are being trampled on here,\u201d she said, arguing that the agency would gain powers traditionally reserved for police.
\nThe debate comes as Merz\u2019s government braces for growing AfD influence at the regional level. The Telegraph and Die Welt reported in July that Berlin was developing a \u201csecret plan\u201d to counter potential \u201cobstructionism\u201d by regional authorities, allowing the federal government to bypass them in a crisis.
\nThe German government wants the intelligence reform to take effect at the beginning of 2027. It still requires approval from both the Bundestag and Bundesrat.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
German lawmakers have warned that sweeping new powers for intelligence agencies would undermine fundamental rights Germany\u2019s opposition lawmakers have accused Chancellor Friedrich Merz\u2019s government of seeking to create a \u201csecret…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":38824,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38823","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","category-environment","category-politics"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t