Shafaq News – Berlin

Germany will reform its Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) to strengthen defenses against “espionage and sabotage,” the Interior Ministry revealed on Monday.

Founded in 1950 with approval from Western allies, the BfV was originally established to counter Soviet espionage and communist infiltration.

Speaking at the agency’s 75th anniversary ceremony in Berlin, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt emphasized that the BfV must become “an active counterintelligence force to protect our democracy,” noting that the government is preparing new legal and technical frameworks to modernize its operations.

BfV President Sinan Selen warned that “security has become a scarce commodity,” calling for stronger measures to reinforce Germany’s defenses.

The reform follows recent arrests in Germany of suspects accused of spying for Russia, including three men detained in May, for allegedly plotting bomb attacks on government buildings and critical infrastructure.