Germany gives sweeping powers to police, intelligence services
Germany's Bundestag has approved sweeping new powers for police and intelligence services, allowing counterattacks against foreign cyber threats and covert entry into premises.
The new legislation, passed on Friday, represents a significant expansion of capabilities for Germany's security agencies. The Federal Intelligence Service (BND) will now be permitted to respond to cyberattacks by foreign powers with counterattacks of their own, ranging from data manipulation to complete system disruption.
Under the reform, intelligence agencies may also enter homes and business premises covertly to prepare surveillance operations, though they remain prohibited from using force against individuals. The measures were approved with votes from the governing coalition of CDU/CSU and the SPD.
Historical separation challenged
The reform addresses the long-standing 'separation principle' that limits data exchange between police and intelligence services. BKA President Holger Münch has argued that modern hybrid attacks challenge this principle, which originated from lessons learned after the Nazi dictatorship when the Gestapo operated outside judicial constraints.
Historian Sönke Neitzel described the separation principle as 'nonsense' in today's threat landscape, while Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt seeks to preserve its essential form while transforming intelligence services into more effective entities.
Growing cyber threats
Dobrindt emphasized Germany's determination to actively defend against cyberattacks, warning that attackers will face retaliation targeting their digital infrastructure. 'Anyone who attacks us in this way must know that we are prepared to strike back,' he stated.
The state's promise of security can become fragile. Confidence in the ability of its institutions to act effectively and remain steadfast is declining.
Münch highlighted the increasing blurring of lines between criminal and state-sponsored actors, citing a 24% rise in foreign-originated crime in the first half of 2026. With fewer than 5% of these cases solved, he warned that public confidence in state security is declining.
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