German Government Proposes Sweeping Intelligence Reform, Critics Warn of License for Espionage

The German federal government has introduced a 700-page draft bill that would fundamentally overhaul the legal foundations of the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) and the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV). The Interior Ministry, led by Alexander Dobrindt (CSU), describes it as the most extensive and fundamental revision in the history of the Federal Republic. The bill aims to transform these agencies into 'true intelligence services,' a shift that critics, including journalist Rolf Gössner, argue represents a dangerous expansion of powers and a breach of legal taboos. Gössner, writing in the newspaper 'der Freitag,' warns that the reform is not about legal restraint but about removing limits on surveillance and covert operations. The Bundestag is expected to vote on the reform by the end of the year. The proposal has sparked significant controversy, with concerns about the erosion of civil liberties and the rule of law in Germany.