Thorsten Frei, head of the German chancellery, called for expanded authority for the Federal Intelligence Service (BND). Speaking on the ntv program “Blume & Pfeffer”, he warned that Germany must remain a “credible, reliable, and effective partner” for other intelligence agencies, and urged the country to follow what its European counterparts have done for years.
Frei’s focus was on the BND’s operational reach abroad. When asked whether German agents might one day have the ability to shut down servers in other countries, as French agencies are reportedly allowed to in cyber‑attacks, he affirmed that the agency already has a mission for “acquiring information at all times”, but that this will no longer be enough. “If we can only gather data, we still cannot respond when attacks on Germany occur” he said. The BND needs a full operational mandate so that it can counter threats, not only monitor them.
The overarching goal, he added, is to protect human lives and, in the most extreme cases, safeguard the country’s very existence. Other nations’ intelligence services already possess such powers, and Germany should pursue the same capability.