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Intelligence Committee: Only one opposition MP remains!
The Parliamentary Control Committee was newly elected in the Bundestag. The AfD and the Left remained without representatives. The focus is on controlling the secret services.
Intelligence Committee: Only one opposition MP remains!
A crucial chapter in the area of intelligence control is currently being opened in the German Bundestag. The election of the new members of the Parliamentary Control Committee (PKGr) has meant that in future only one opposition MP will be represented on the committee. This was reported by Radio Wuppertal. The clear losers in this election are the AfD and Left candidates, who were unable to achieve the necessary majority of 316 votes.
In the current PKGr there are now three members of the Union, two from the SPD and the Green parliamentary group vice-president Konstantin von Notz. Its mission is to strictly monitor the activities of the federal intelligence services, which include the Federal Intelligence Service (BND), the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) and the Military Counterintelligence Service (MAD). The PKGr usually operates in strict secrecy in order to protect sensitive information, as ZDF Today highlights.
The choice and its consequences
Heidi Reichinnek, the candidate of the Left, missed the necessary majority with 260 yes votes, while the AfD candidates Martin Hess and Gerold Otten were also unable to achieve the election target with 127 and 121 yes votes. These developments have led the Left to link the election of its parliamentary group leader to the approval of other votes. Jan van Aken, leader of the Left Party, threatened consequences if Reichinnek failed. This situation has a significant impact on future processes in the PKGr, as The Parliament reports.
With the reduction of the number of members from 13 to 9 in the PKGr, the risk of a lack of quorum is also addressed. The committee, which previously met usually once a month, can now quickly get into difficulties if members who do not have a deputy are absent. Conclusion: In this constellation, Konstantin von Notz remains the only opposition representative in the committee unless the AfD and the Left are successful in the next votes.
Importance of intelligence control
The Parliamentary Control Board is tasked with ensuring that the secret agencies do not break any laws. It receives information about their activities and has the right to inspect files and question employees. In addition to regular reports to the Bundestag, there is also an annual public hearing of the secret service heads, which represents a central source of information for the MPs.
The legal basis for the control of the secret services was anchored in the Basic Law, and the PKGr plays a crucial role in the parliamentary control of these institutions. The challenges arising from the current election could impact the effectiveness of intelligence oversight in the Federal Republic of Germany. Ultimately, it remains to be seen how politicians react to these developments and whether new impulses can be provided for cooperation within the committee.