The German Parliament’s Green Party parliamentary group has initiated an urgent debate regarding drone defense, sharply criticizing Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) for what they perceive as a neglect of burgeoning security threats. Irene Mihalic, the Green Party’s parliamentary manager, voiced her concerns to the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland, highlighting a growing public anxiety stemming from unauthorized drone incursions. She argued that Dobrindt’s disproportionate focus on migration has diverted attention and resources, leaving significant security vulnerabilities unaddressed for an extended period.
The Green Party’s motion, titled “Securing German Airspace: Effective Drone Defense Now” challenges the proposed solution of assigning responsibility to the Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces). Mihalic emphasized that the Federal Police, with their existing mandate for public safety and threat mitigation, should retain primary responsibility for drone defense operations. She further accused Dobrindt of failing to articulate a comprehensive strategy to confront a broad spectrum of hybrid threats – encompassing drone incursions, cyberattacks, espionage and attacks on critical infrastructure.
The proposed legislation, seeking to formally obligate the Bundeswehr to provide assistance in drone defense through a revised air safety law, is facing skepticism from within the governing coalition. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) has expressed reservations about militarizing airspace security, raising concerns about potential overreach and a blurring of lines between civilian law enforcement and military intervention. The debate underscores a deeper disagreement over how Germany should approach evolving security challenges, pitting a hardline focus on border control against a broader assessment of multifaceted threats and the appropriate responses. The current parliamentary debate promises to be contentious, with profound implications for Germany’s security policy and the allocation of responsibility across governmental bodies.