BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany needs its BND foreign intelligence service to operate at a level that reflects the country’s size and economic weight to deal with hybrid attacks from increasingly aggressive rivals, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Thursday.
In a speech marking the inauguration of a new head of the BND, Merz said the foundations of Europe’s security architecture that had ensured peace, freedom and prosperity for decades had become fragile.
“Seldom in Germany since World War Two has the security situation been so grave,” said Merz.
“We are on a daily basis fending off hybrid attacks against our infrastructure: acts of sabotage, espionage, disinformation campaigns. We once again have systemic rivals and adversaries – and they are becoming increasingly aggressive,” he said, without naming any country or organisation.
European security officials, including in Germany, have long warned of the increased threat of hybrid attacks by China and Russia, including the targeting of critical infrastructure.
China and Russia have often denied this.
To counter such threats, Germany must be more proactive and needs the knowledge provided by a strong civilian, military and technical foreign intelligence agency, Merz said, suggesting this required a paradigm shift in foreign and security policy.
“Given the responsibility we bear in Europe in view of our size and economic strength, it is therefore our goal to ensure that the BND operates at the highest level in terms of intelligence,” he said.
New BND chief Martin Jaeger, 61, was appointed after serving as ambassador to Ukraine from 2023, as Germany became the second-biggest weapons supplier to Kyiv following Russia’s invasion.
Jaeger said that under his leadership, the BND would cooperate with European and international partners and confront opponents wherever possible.
“My message will be: the BND is a force to be reckoned with,” said Jaeger, who replaces Bruno Kahl who had led the BND since 2016.
(Reporting by Madeline Chambers; editing by Matthias Williams and Timothy Heritage)
