Germany’s federal intelligence agencies are set to receive expanded operational powers, including the authority to use firearms, for the first time in seven decades. The cabinet of Chancellor Friedrich Merz approved a package of reforms aimed at enhancing the capabilities of the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND), Germany’s foreign intelligence service, and the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), the domestic security agency.
The changes come amid growing concerns over hybrid threats, including elevated risks of terrorism and hostile actions linked to Russia. Recent incidents such as a drone carrying explosives found near Leipzig airport and a foiled assassination plot against Rheinmetall’s CEO Armani Pappenger have underscored the urgency for enhanced defensive measures.
Under the proposed legislation, which awaits parliamentary approval, BND agents will be empowered to engage in "kinetic" operations abroad, including sabotage and deliberate dissemination of disinformation, expanding the agency’s role beyond traditional intelligence gathering. While the new rules allow operatives to use firearms, regulations specify that guns may only be discharged in self-defense. This marks a significant departure from previous restrictions designed to prevent the agency from acquiring enforcement or combat functions reminiscent of historical abuses.
The BfV will also gain authority to more proactively counter internal threats. New powers include the capacity to disable computers involved in cyberattacks and more aggressively monitor foreign intelligence operatives within Germany. The agency has been engaged in ongoing legal disputes, notably after designating the far-right party Alternative for Germany as an extremist organization.
Lawmakers overseeing intelligence operations have acknowledged that existing constraints, inherited from Germany’s postwar commitment to strict surveillance oversight, have limited effectiveness against contemporary threats. Marc Henrichmann, chairman of the parliamentary committee monitoring intelligence activities, emphasized that while past restrictions had important historical justifications to prevent abuses similar to the Gestapo era, they no longer suffice in the face of modern hybrid warfare tactics.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt highlighted the reforms as necessary to equip security services with the tools to counter evolving challenges posed by state-sponsored terrorism and extremist violence. The legislative proposal, spanning more than 700 pages, envisions a broader operational mandate for Germany’s intelligence community, addressing growing security concerns related to Russia’s increasingly aggressive actions and other hostile actors.
The expansion of powers for Germany’s intelligence agencies represents the most extensive overhaul since their establishment in the 1950s. It reflects a shift towards a more assertive posture in safeguarding national security amid a complex and shifting geopolitical landscape.