Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s cabinet has approved a set of measures to expand the powers of Germany’s domestic and foreign intelligence agencies. The government plans to give these services broader capabilities to respond more actively to a rising set of security threats, including those from extremists and powers such as Russia.
The approved draft law would grant intelligence services new powers to hack communications and disrupt the operations of foreign adversaries. These changes are designed to counter growing threats from cyber and hybrid attacks by lifting many of the restraints imposed on spy agencies during the postwar period.
These reforms largely comply with a wishlist from the intelligence services, which have long complained that Germany lags behind its allies and enemies. The move comes as the country reels from two attacks in a month that exposed serious security gaps.
The controversial changes must still pass parliament.