German interior minister warns of greater threats than during Cold War

Germany's interior minister warned on Monday that the country faces more extensive threats today than during the Cold War, accusing hostile forces of waging a "shadow war" aimed at destabilizing the country.

Speaking at a conference hosted by Germany's domestic intelligence agency (BfV) in Berlin, Alexander Dobrindt said the Cold War had been characterized by clearer boundaries that had since become blurred.

The current "shadow war" went far beyond the objectives of the Cold War, he said.

"It has the clear goal of destabilizing us," he said. "Its goal is not to defeat us militarily, but to subdue us politically and socially."

The conservative politician acknowledged that such efforts had not been entirely unsuccessful, pointing to growing tensions in Germany's political, social and economic spheres.

BfV president Sinan Selen echoed the warning, saying the aim was to undermine confidence in democracy and shake the foundations of society.

Dobrindt said Germany was a particular target because of its economic strength, scientific institutions and central role in European defence and support for Ukraine.

"If you want to destabilize the West, you target Germany. If you want to destabilize Europe, you target Germany," he said.

He warned that disinformation, sabotage, espionage and cyberattacks were being used to undermine the country's democratic order.

The minister called for a comprehensive transformation of Germany's security structures, arguing that the country's major shift in defence policy following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 must extend beyond foreign policy.

"We need to rearm," Dobrindt said, advocating planned reforms that would give Germany's intelligence agencies greater powers to take action rather than merely gather information.

Under the proposals, which require parliamentary approval, the foreign intelligence service (BND) could be authorized to disrupt the IT systems of state-backed hacking groups or interfere with supply chains used to produce drones, weapons and explosives.

The domestic intelligence agency could also be permitted, under strict conditions, to secretly enter homes or business premises to install surveillance software.