Germany: Bundestag president pushes changes to security

The president of the Bundestag, Germany's lower house of parliament, has sounded the alarm about security concerns at the heart of German democracy.

In a letter sent in December, which DW has seen, Bundestag President Julia Klöckner appealed to the heads of the parliamentary groups to take "urgent" action, outlining three areas: drones, police powers and new rules for parliamentary staff.

The rare intervention is an indication of growing concerns about the Bundestag's security vulnerabilities.

In what is the most contentious of her proposals, the Bundestag president said she wants to crack down on jobs for aides who fail background security checks.

"Employees of Members of Parliament who fail reliability checks and are denied access to the Bundestag or its IT systems for security reasons should no longer be funded with public money," Klöckner wrote.

The change would largely affect the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which said there are seven such cases of employees who were denied Bundestag accreditation but work for MPs or the parliamentary group. DW understands the individuals in question have close links to right-wing extremist networks or foreign adversaries.

Bernd Baumann, who leads the AfD's parliamentary group, said Klöckner's idea is an attempt to "ban the party through the back door."

In May 2025, domestic intelligence services classified the AfD as a right-wing extremist, arguing that the party's views on ethnic minorities and Muslims are incompatible with the constitution. That classification has been paused pending a legal challenge by the party.

The Bundestag president also urged lawmakers to move forward with plans to bolster the parliamentary police force.

As DW has previously reported, senior members of parliament have long been concerned that domestic terrorists and foreign spies can gain easy access to parliamentary buildings and sensitive information.

In September 2025, a former aide to AfD politician Maximilian Krah was convicted of espionage for China. Though Krah was not a member of parliament when the aide was employed, the case has highlighted a need for more thorough background checks.

A plan to strengthen the Bundestag police's powers has been discussed for years. It would allow police in parliament to access information held by federal police to conduct thorough and fast checks on members, staff and guests. Members of the AfD have voiced concerns that strengthening police powers could be used against them.

Klöckner called on MPs to submit a draft law "as soon as possible."

Klöckner also raised concerns about physical threats to parliament. She called on the parliamentary parties to ensure that the Reichstag, the building in Berlin where the lower house of parliament convenes, is included in Germany's plans to protect against drone threats.

Unidentified drone sightings have caused disruptions at numerous airports in recent months, prompting Germany's interior minister, Alexander Dobrindt, to promise police more money and power to combat drone threats.

Klöckner did not offer details on the nature of the threat she felt drones posed, only that she was concerned about "protecting our premises."