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“Germany in the crosshairs”: SPD politicians are calling for more money for security authorities
Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser (SPD)
© Jörg Carstensen / DPA
Save? Not an option: After the espionage incidents, several SPD politicians are increasing the pressure in the budget negotiations – and warning of cuts to internal security.
Earlier this week, four suspected Chinese spies were arrested in Germany. One of the suspects was until recently an employee of Maximilian Krah, AfD’s top candidate in the European elections. Krah’s employee, who is now said to have been fired, is accused of acting as a secret service agent for China and is currently in custody.
SPD domestic politician Carmen Wegge also warns that the resources of the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI) should not shrink. “It is clear to me that we cannot save on internal security,” said Wegge star.
Negotiations for the 2025 budget have begun without the usual benchmarks, but with upper limits for the ministries. In view of a hole that is likely to be in the double-digit billion range, FDP Finance Minister Lindner called on the departments to make a “joint effort”. The houses should submit their spending requests by May 2nd.
“The point will come when everyone will have to ask themselves the question of how we want to invest in our country or not,” said SPD domestic politician Wegge. People rightly expected that politicians would protect them from enemy espionage, but also from right-wing extremism. “But I have doubts as to whether it will be possible to draw up a budget that meets the current challenges without additional resources.” In addition to the SPD, the Greens are also in favor of reforming the current debt rules, while the FDP rejects this.
“The threat situation is undisputed,” says SPD budget politician and defense expert Andreas Schwarz. In principle, Germany is already in an internet war: cyber attacks, fake news, attempts at manipulation on social media channels. “This is accompanied by party donations to extremist parties and the use of these parties for espionage,” said the Social Democrat star, apparently alluding to AfD member of the Bundestag Petr Bystron, who is suspected of receiving money as part of a Russian influence operation. “Our services are needed more than ever to ensure security in the country,” said Householder Schwarz. “Saving money here would mean putting an ax on people’s safety.”
In the current federal budget (2024), the Federal Minister of the Interior has 13.3 billion euros at his disposal. “This federal government has not skimped on internal security, on the contrary,” said Interior Minister Nancy Faeser from the SPD in a recent interview. “It was right that the traffic light exempted the security authorities from many austerity measures in 2024.”
The federal police have been strengthened by a further 1,000 positions and it must stay that way. “Security doesn’t come for free,” says Faeser. Sufficient money is needed for a secure IT infrastructure and strengthening civil protection, as well as the necessary funds for the Federal Criminal Police Office, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution and the Federal Police.
Again “Mirror” reported that the majority of ministries were required to reduce their spending compared to the current year. The expenditure deficit in the Ministry of the Interior is therefore 1.2 billion euros. Svenja Schulze’s development ministry in particular is alarmed: “I don’t see any possibility in my budget,” the SPD politician replied star-Interview when asked where she wanted to cut in her budget. “The existing budget is not adequate.” Your house would have already made a big savings contribution last year. “We managed that, but it can’t continue like this because the world situation requires more money, not less.”