Germany approves draft law to expand spy agency powers after recent attacks

Germany's government has approved a draft law that would lift many of the postwar restraints on the country's intelligence agencies. The move comes after two recent security incidents that have intensified pressure on ministers to show they can respond more effectively to modern threats. The bill still needs parliamentary approval before it can take effect.

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Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the changes would turn the intelligence services into "genuine secret services" and give them the operational capabilities needed to confront modern state terrorism and extremist groups. He said Germany should be able to operate on an equal footing with partner services around the world. The draft was presented to the cabinet on Wednesday after months of preparation and repeated revisions.

The reform follows a deadly car ramming in late July at Berlin's annual Pride parade, which authorities say was carried out by a German-born Islamist known to them. It also follows the discovery last week of a drone carrying explosives near a Ukrainian cargo plane at Leipzig airport, which is described as a key defence transport hub. The government of Friedrich Merz is under pressure to modernise security policy while still respecting the rights and principles set out in Germany's Basic Law.

The proposed changes are significant because they would ease long-standing limits placed on intelligence work after the Second World War. According to the draft, the foreign intelligence service, known as the BND, would gain new powers to deal with threats from state actors such as Russia and China, including with the help of artificial intelligence. German authorities say the threat level has risen sharply since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with alleged sabotage, spying and cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure and military equipment manufacturers.

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The BND, which turned 70 this year, is led by Martin Jäger, a former ambassador to Ukraine. He has argued that Germany must be able to show adversaries that it can respond in kind. The reform package reflects long-running complaints from intelligence officials that Germany has lagged behind allies and rivals in its ability to detect and counter emerging threats.

It also highlights the balance the coalition government is trying to strike between stronger security powers and constitutional safeguards. What remains unclear is how much support the draft law will receive in parliament and whether lawmakers will seek to narrow its scope. The government has not said when debate will begin or what amendments may be proposed.

For now, the reform marks an important test of how far Germany is prepared to go in expanding surveillance and operational powers in response to recent attacks and wider security concerns.

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