German interior minister Dobrindt seeks police powers for constitutional protection agency

On July 25, 2026, Federal Minister of the Interior Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) announced plans to give the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) police‑like authority as part of a broader revision of the agency’s mandate.

Former BfV president Hans‑Georg Maaßen responded, condemning the agency’s current methods as “decomposition” and warning that political control of the BfV threatens the liberal democratic constitutional order, particularly in its actions against the AfD.